Of any returning player on the Las Vegas Raiders' defense this year, defensive end Malcolm Koonce made the most significant leap in improvement.
Koonce reached career-highs in combined tackles (43), tackles for losses (nine), sacks (eight), quarterback hits (17), and forced fumbles (three). He also started a career-best 11 games in 17 appearances.
The 2021 third-round pick had recorded 12 combined tackles, two for losses, two quarterback hits, and two sacks in total between his first two seasons.
Koonce has one year remaining on his $4.9-million rookie contract but is more than deserving of an extension as soon as this offseason.
The edge-rushing duo of Koonce and All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby, along with an up-and-coming former first-round pick in defensive end Tyree Wilson, put opposing offenses on notice this season and have the potential to be even better next season.
The Raiders lost an elite pass rusher with Chandler Jones in 2023, which made Koonce's breakout year all the more crucial.
Koonce's game immediately turned the corner when Raiders Interim Head Coach Antonio Pierce took over. Right away, the young defensive end had what, at the time, had been the game of his career in Las Vegas' Week 9 victory against the New York Giants, recording four combined tackles, one for a loss, and his first sack of the season.
Koonce would later have back-to-back monster games against divisional rivals, starting in the Raiders' 63-21 route of the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. He registered three combined tackles, three quarterback hits, two sacks, and two forced fumbles, including one that had been returned for a touchdown. The following week, Koonce had his best game of the season, tallying six combined tackles, four for losses, and three sacks in Las Vegas' upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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