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The Las Vegas Raiders are poised to take a leap in Antonio Pierce's first full season as the team's head coach. Pierce breathed fresh life into a floundering Raiders operation. The Raiders finished 5-4 down the stretch with Pierce at the helm, so it is exciting to imagine what his team can accomplish with a full 17-game schedule.
The Raiders also got a lot better this offseason. They brought in Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting QB job. Las Vegas also signed free agent Christian Wilkins to a massive four-year contract that adds some serious juice to the defensive line.
All of that is before considering the 2024 NFL Draft. Dynamic tight end Brock Bowers fell to the Raiders at 13th overall, adding a versatile weapon on offense who Vegas can build around. The Raiders also drafted C/G Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round, who should plug in as an immediate starter at right guard.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that the Raiders will be a fun team this fall. They have a chance to not only pick up where they left off in 2023, but legitimately make a leap forward and become a winning team.
There is one defensive player, not named Maxx Crosby, who could be the key to unlocking a new level for the Raiders defense. He has the potential to make or break the Raiders' 2024 season.
The Las Vegas Raiders have tried desperately to find young pass rushers to pair with superstar defensive end Maxx Crosby. This was the vision for drafting Tyree Wilson in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, Wilson has not yet lived up to his first-round draft pedigree.
Luckily, another defender on the Raiders' d-line stepped up in a big way in 2023. Third-year defensive end Malcolm Koonce had a breakout campaign.
Malcolm Koonce needs to build on his breakout 2023 campaign
Koonce burst onto the scene in 2023. He logged 43 total tackles, including eight sacks. This far exceeds the first two years of his career where he was a non-factor on the Raiders' defense.
Koonce turned into the type of player that Las Vegas has always wanted — a partner for Maxx Crosby. Every opponent knows that Maxx Crosby is the most dangerous piece of the Raiders defense. Therefore, it is incredibly valuable to have other plays who can take advantage of one-on-one blocking assignments when Crosby is inevitably double-teamed.
The Las Vegas Raiders made a splash during free agency, signing former Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. He is a stout defender against the run, but more importantly he is more than capable of generating interior pass rush.
Adding Wilkins to the mix could have a chain reaction of positive effects for the Raiders defense — especially if Koonce can take another step forward.
Opposing offenses would have no way to double-team Crosby, Koonce, and Wilkins all at the same time. If this trio can all provide substantial juice on passing downs, they will generate an absurd volume of pressure.
Generating pressure looks like it will be the name of the game for the Raiders defense as currently constructed. The secondary is in okay shape with player like Jack Jones, Tre'von Moehrig, Nate Hobbs, and Marcus Epps as the team's best starters. However, those players can easily be picked apart by some of the league's best passing offenses. The Raiders can neutralize this weakness by boasting a strong and consistent pass rush.
Let's end by defining what we mean by “make or break” for the Raiders' 2024 season.
Realistically, the Raiders will not have a strong chance of winning the Super Bowl in 2024. They play in a tough division with the Kansas City Chiefs and play in a stacked AFC conference. However, their goals as a franchise can be much simpler with a first-year head coach.
Malcolm Koonce can “make or break” the Raiders' future as much as the upcoming season. If he can prove that he's fully arrived as an NFL pro, it will make the Raiders' team building effort that much easier on the defensive line.
Here's hoping that Koonce picks up where he left off last year.
