Make-or-Break Season for This Raiders Veteran

Dan Wasserman of Pro Football Focus listed one player who is facing a make-or-break season from every team in the National Football League. After missing all of last season with an injury, Wasserman believes Malcolm Koonce is that player for the Raiders.

"The Raiders have long been looking for an effective pass rush partner for Maxx Crosby. Down the stretch of the 2023 season, it looked like they may have found that player in Malcolm Koonce. From Weeks 10 through 18, he earned an outstanding 84.9 PFF pass-rush grade," Wasserman said.

"Unfortunately, he didn’t play a single snap in 2024 due to injury, but he signed a new one-year contract with the hope of regaining that level of play in 2025. If he does, the Raiders could have a potentially lethal pass rush."

Following Organized Team Activities, Koonce credited the Raiders coaching and training staff, as well as several of his teammates, with helping him through the recovery process.

"I would say the Raiders in general. I was around here doing my rehab and stuff. So, the strength staff, they were very encouraging. The training room staff, very encouraging. And then, don't forget my teammates. Robbie [Leonard] all the time, he was always giving me little talks and stuff like that," Koonce said.

"You got Maxx [Crosby], you got AB [Adam Butler], you got Christian [Wilkins]. I was over there with him (Wilkins), talking the whole time, too, because he was rehabbing. So, definitely just everybody around me, the Raiders organization."

The Raiders need Koonce to stay healthy this upcoming season and to take the next step, as he was expected to do last season. If Koonce has a productive season, the Raiders' defense likely will, too.

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