Here are a few things to know about the Raiders' No. 67 overall pick, DE Keyron Crawford.

Late bloomer

Despite being a four-year starter in college, football hasn't been a lifelong sport for him.

A Tennessee native who attended Briarcrest Christian School, he didn't start playing organized football until his senior year of high school. He spent the majority of his life playing basketball, a sport in which he was a standout in.

In his one season playing high school football, he recorded 78 tackles, 14 sacks and was named regional defensive MVP. This was enough to make him a three-star prospect and take his talents to Arkansas State.

Along with playing football and basketball, he also ran track in high school.

College career

Before transferring to the Auburn University, Crawford played two seasons for the Arkansas State Red Wolves from 2022-23. In that span, the defensive end recorded recorded 58 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

After arriving to the SEC, he became one of the top pass rushers in the conference playing in Auburn's "Buck" linebacker role as a stand-up pass rusher. He notched another 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in his time there.

"He's twitchy and rushes with ideal energy as a hungry quarterback-hunter," NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein wrote of Crawford. "However, he might benefit from dialing back his constant acceleration and becoming more intentional with his rush. Crawford has special teams and situational rush value now, but his best football is still to come."

Preparing for the next level

Crawford used the pre-draft process to earn the attention of teams, starting at the 2026 Senior Bowl. In Mobile, Alabama, back in January, Crawford finished with four total tackles, one tackle for loss and 1.0 sack for the American Team.

Shortly after, he participated in on-field drills at the NFL Combine and his pro day, where he continued to impress.

"You face the best of the best in the SEC," Crawford said at his pro day. "In the NFL, you're also going to face the best of the best."