Las Vegas Raiders Lose Top Draft Pick For Entire 2026 Season To Brutal Injury
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Las Vegas Raiders just lost rookie defensive end Keyron Crawford for the entire 2026 season. Ari Meirov reported the third-round pick out of Auburn tore his Achilles and will not play. Head coach Klint Kubiak confirmed the diagnosis Wednesday after the club had first listed the injury as an ankle.
#Raiders rookie DE Keyron Crawford, their 3rd-round pick out of Auburn, suffered an Achilles injury and will miss the entire 2026 NFL season. https://t.co/mX4MSDh4FJ pic.twitter.com/cYkb2natXw
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 2, 2026
Crawford went down late in the preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. He was blitzing quarterback Adrian Martinez when tackle Enrique Cruz Jr. shoved him, and he fell awkwardly. Trainers helped him off with no weight on the right leg, then carted him to the locker room.
Las Vegas placed him on injured reserve during Sunday’s cut to 53, with no designation to return. That paperwork already pointed to a long timeline before Kubiak named the Achilles.
Keyron Crawford’s Promising Preseason Ended on One Awkward Fall
The Raiders drafted Crawford 67th overall after two seasons at Arkansas State and two at Auburn. In 24 games with the Tigers, he posted 58 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 59 pressures, and five sacks. He was starting to look like a real rotational piece before Thursday’s collapse.
He even notched a sack earlier in that same 49ers game. Then one rush ended the year. Kubiak had said the next morning, “We’re still gathering information there,” while medical staff kept evaluating him.
Patrick Johnson made the 53-man roster in the vacated spot after a strong August. Johnson had 11 tackles, two sacks, six pressures, and four run stuffs in three preseason games. Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye still start. Malcolm Koonce is the other edge backup.
The IR move without a return tag means Crawford cannot come back in 2026 unless the team later settles the contract. Rookie edge seasons rarely survive a torn Achilles. Rehab now becomes his first NFL year.
Keyron Crawford’s Loss Stacks Onto a Bruised Raiders Roster
This is another body blow in a building already managing injuries. Ashton Jeanty is still on the mend with an ankle issue, though Kubiak remains optimistic for Week 1.
Las Vegas opens September 13 against Miami. Crosby still anchors the edge, but the rookie who was supposed to spell him is gone. A third-round swing now sits on injured reserve while the pass rush leans on veterans and Johnson.
The Raiders draft history already carries enough near-misses. Crawford was supposed to be a different kind of hit, a high-motor rusher who could grow behind Crosby. Instead, his first season ends before the real games start.
