It's the halfway point through the season and the Raiders' success on the field has earned multiple players a spot on Pro Football Focus' Midseason All-Pro Team. Five Raiders were named to the list's first and second teams, with the most on defense – a surprise turn for a team that has struggled on defense the past few years.
Take a look at the five Silver and Black players who are balling out at the midpoint:
Maxx Crosby: First-Team Edge Rusher
Crosby has made his presence known this season, playing with such high-intensity that he leads the league in pressures (47). He is also the Raiders' team leader in sacks (5.0) and is tied for second in league in quarterback hits (19).
Casey Hayward Jr. and Nate Hobbs: First-Team Cornerback and First-Team Flex-D
It's no secret Hayward and Hobbs have been lockdown corners, creating their own no-fly zone. Both DBs were named to the First Team, with Hayward at cornerback and Hobbs as a Flex-D. Hobbs is one of three rookies to make the PFF list, and through seven games, has yet to allow a touchdown.
Hayward, now in his 10th year in the league, has also yet to surrender a touchdown. Combatting injuries and other struggles last year, he recorded his worst PFF grade of his career, but has rebounded this year with a change of scenery, becoming the best-graded cornerback in the league at 82.1 overall.
AJ Cole: First-Team Punter
The life of a punter is quiet success, as AJ Cole has displayed this season. He is the league leader in average punt yards (minimum of 10 punts) with 52.6 yards and holds the third-longest punt this season at 71 yards. As PFF said, "...no punter has a better combination of distance, hang time and direction this season."
Derek Carr: Second-Team Quarterback
Derek Carr was named to the second team, behind none other than the Buccaneers' Tom Brady, who PFF called "still the best quarterback in the league so far this season, but the gap is narrowing." Carr, however, has been playing at a career-high level, recording 2,269 passing yards – the most through seven games in his career – with an average of 324.1 yards per game and an 89.1 overall grade on the site.
