Raiders’ Rob Leonard Sounds Off on Next Year’s Expectations

Even their biggest star on the defensive side of the ball, Maxx Crosby, suffered from injuries last season, and that highlighted a season that was largely forgettable for Raider Nation.

The key to the Raiders' success on defense is their health; if everyone remains healthy, they'll have a ferocious pass rush paired with a defense looking to prove themselves next season.

The Raiders' new head coach is Pete Carroll, and on top of being a legendary head coach, he will boost their offense tremendously. He'll also help out their defense by lighting a fire under them and revitalizing their hunger to get after the quarterback.

The Raiders are on the verge of turning their franchise around, and if they want to accelerate their rebuild and go back into contention, their defense will have to remain healthy and step up to become one of the best defenses in the league.

Their offense is led by Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty, and paired with a defense led by Crosby and Wilkins when healthy, the Raiders will upset many teams next season and surpass people's expectations for them.

Rob Leonard is the defensive line coach for the Raiders, and he's entering his third year with the team. In 2025, he will have the added role of being the run game coordinator, which suits the Raiders are looking to lean on their ground game. Leonard was recently on The Morning Commute, a video series on Raiders.com, where he opened up about expectations for next season.

"It's still a work in progress, and I talked about this last year. I'm going to fight that expectation narrative in my room, tooth and nail. It doesn't matter, but I'm excited for next season. How could you not be?"

Follow us today on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and talk about Leonard.

Go visit our Facebook page to talk about Leonard, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.