Maxx Crosby made a beeline to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan after the Raiders edge rusher had a tackle for loss in Thursday’s joint practice. The 49ers, like 30 other teams, could have had Crosby coming out of Eastern Michigan in 2019.
But the 49ers, like every other team, passed on Crosby multiple times before the Raiders selected him in the fourth round. San Francisco has a good explanation: They used a first-round pick on edge rusher Nick Bosa, who was defensive player of the year last season. The 49ers drafted Deebo Samuel in the second round that year but used a third-round pick on Jalen Hurd, who has never played in a regular-season game.
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan at least has regrets about how the team treated Crosby during the pre-draft process when defensive line coach Kris Kocurek got a bit aggressive in questioning Crosby.
“We were kind of jerks to him in our interview when he came out of college and he’s really one of the coolest dudes I’ve seen or been around and one of the best players in this league,” Shanahan said Thursday, via Adam Hill of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “So it’s cool to catch up.”
Shanahan explained Crosby’s interview was one of the first with the 49ers for Kocurek, who wanted to see how prospects responded to confrontation. General Manager John Lynch touched Kocurek’s leg at one point to signal him to dial it back.
“But Maxx was a stud,” Shanahan said. “He didn’t care at all. He did not waver and handled it as well as anyone could.”
Crosby hasn’t forgotten the interview because he carries “every little scar " and keeps “everything noted.”
“I feel like every single team that I interviewed with didn’t take me seriously,” Crosby said. “I could name every damn team if I want, but I’m not going to do that.”
