Another offseason. Another one-year prove-it-type deal.
But earning $11 million in 2025 and slated to pocket another $11 million if he plays in all 17 games again, the contract and coin are quite fine for Malcolm Koonce. The Las Vegas Raiders third-round pick in 2021, the 27-year-0ld edge rusher showed the burst and explosion towards the tail end of the 2025 season that was sapped by an ACL tear in 2024.
Konce went on to start a trio of games in 2025 as he was reacclimating to the NFL game after his
2024 season was wiped out by injury and the Buffalo product racked up 4.5 sacks along with 30 total tackles, six tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits. That’s a far cry from a standout 2023 campaign where Koonce totaled eight sacks, 43 total tackles, nine stops for loss, and 17 quarterback hits.
A traditional 4-3 defensive end during his first five years with the Silver & Black, like several defenders, Koonce is likely going to move from hands-in-the-dirt to a standup edge rusher in defensive coordinator Rob Leonard’s 3-4 defensive front. Instead of the four-down linemen the Raiders deployed in previous seasons, Leonard is going with three linemen and four linebackers.
F0rtunately for Koonce, there won’t be a steep learning curve as he was a standup outside linebacker in his collegiate days. And at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, the New York native doesn’t have the build to be a 3-4 defensive end (typically these cats run 285-plus pounds and are more defensive tackle-like). But he does bring the pass rush and run stopping chops to operate as a rush outside linebacker int he Raiders’ new scheme.
The Buffalo Bulls deployed a 3-4 front and it’s a system Koonce thrived in racking up 18 total sacks in four seasons with a career-high of nine quarterback takedowns and 11 tackles for loss occurring in 2019. And it’s that experience being part of Koonce’s football foundation that makes outside linebacker in an odd front a natural home.
Add into the mix that Leonard worked directly with Koonce during his tenure as the defensive line boss before his ascension to defensive coordinator under new head coach Klint Kubiak, and it’s logical to foresee the new defense’s play caller not only being able to use the edge rusher, but put him in the best possible position to succeed.
Expect Koonce’s usage to mirror Maxx Crosby, another hands-in-the-dirt type that will be moved around the alignment to maximize both chaos and output. Pre-ACL tear, Koonce exhibited an explosive first step that paired with Crosby’s own electric movement to create a pincer-type pass rush: Get away from Crosby, Koonce was there hunting, too. And vice versa. Standing them both up to get after the quarterback allows the pair of Raiders rushers to explode into offensive tackles and exploit the delayed response.
If the 3-4 look is clicking, the nose tackle and pair of defensive ends will act as shields by both occupying and overpowering interior blockers which will, in turn, create rush opportunities for Koonce, Crosby, Kwity Paye, etc. to operate with impunity. The trio up front doing its job creates a free-flow where both outside and inside linebackers are relatively clean and able to get to the quarterback or ball carrier.
While Crosby’s uncanny stamina means he rarely comes off the field, Leonard can concoct chaotic rotations with the edge rushers at his disposal. Crosby is equal parts quarterback hunter and run wrecker while Paye offers a powerful edge presence to stymie the run and get after the quarterback. And Koonce is more of the svelte speed-to-power/power-to-speed pass rusher who can use his bend to breakdown tackles enroute to the ball carrier or signal caller.
While we will see exactly what kind of defense the Raiders will deploy when preseason tilts and regular season clashes begin, Leonard learned under two mentors that feature attacking fronts that use aggression and disguise to discombobulate an opposing offense in Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
If Leonard brings that style of play to Las Vegas, the Silver & Black are slated to feature a defense that relies on complex stunt packages, disguised blitzes, and downhill pressure to force the issue. I’m sure there will be bend but not break methodology in there, too, but Leonard bringing in a Baltimore Ravens-style enforcer defense that Macdonald deployed and Leonard learned during their respective stints there would be a welcome change.
But team’s are straying far from relying on base formations. So while the 3-4 front is going to be a staple, expect Leonard to use sub package formations regularly, too. Macdonald used nickel and dime packages (featuring five or more defensive backs) to power the Seahawks defense to a Super Bowl victory in 2025, for example. And if Leonard goes a similar route, expect 3-3-5, 4-2-5, or even 2-4-5 alignments.
That would alter how defenders are used, but Koonce has the versatility to adjust and shift from a defensive end on even fronts and standup on odd fronts.
