Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby holds the fourth-shortest odds to win the 2026 AP Defensive Player of the Year award at +1200 on DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of this article’s publishing. Crosby trails only Will Anderson Jr. (+450), T.J. Watt (+550) and Aidan Hutchinson (+550).
Crosby has posted three combined tackles and 1.5 sacks through the first two weeks of the year. He opened the season with two tackles and 1.5 sacks against the Miami Dolphins before adding a tackle against the Los Angeles Chargers. Crosby also has a tackle for loss and four quarterback hits on the season.
To capture the award for the first time in his career, Crosby will likely need to increase his sacks output and turn in elite tackles for loss production,
as per usual, by the end of the season. Helping the 2-0 Raiders push for the playoffs will also help his case.
As for Raiders coach Klint Kubiak, he holds the second-shortest odds to win the AP Coach of the Year award on DraftKings Sportsbook at +900 following the first two weeks of the season, fueled by Las Vegas’ unbeaten start to the year. New Orleans Saints coach Kellen Moore (+600) is the only coach who has better odds than Kubiak at this point of the season.
The Raiders are 2-0 after victories over both the Dolphins and the Chargers. The offense delivered its strongest showing in a 26-14 upset win over the Chargers in Week 2, with quarterback Kirk Cousins passing for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Through two games, Cousins has completed nearly 68% of his throws for 413 yards and an NFL-leading six touchdowns, and the offensive line has improved leaps and bounds, creating more opportunities for the run game, giving Kubiak’s offense an early blend of efficiency, explosiveness and scoring punch.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Couple Raiders among early favorites for 2026 season awards
