The Las Vegas Raiders drastically improved their defense after Antonio Pierce took over as the interim head coach in Week 9.
Throughout their first eight games, they ranked 23rd in points, 19th in total yards, 10th in passing, 31st in rushing, tied for the 3rd fewest takeaways, and 25th in sacks. When Pierce took over, their defense got better throughout their last nine, ranking 1st in points, 14th in total yards, 22nd in passing, 8th in rushing, tied for 10th in takeaways, and third in sacks. Overall, they ranked 9th in points, 15th in total yards, 12th in passing, 21st in rushing, 20th in takeaways, and 15th in sacks in 2023.
One player in particular deserves some credit for his performance down the stretch.
The Las Vegas Raiders former 3rd-round pick had an impressive 2023 campaign
After barely playing in his first two seasons with the Raiders, Malcolm Koonce took over as the starting EDGE rusher in his third. He had an exceptional 2023 campaign, recording 43 tackles, nine TFLs, 17 hits, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles in 17 games and 11 starts, representing 44% of defensive snaps. He also had 52 pressures, 34 hurries, 27 stops, and an 81.3 PFF grade per PFF.
He finished 10th in tackles, 2nd in TFLs, hits, sacks, and 1st in forced fumbles on the team.
He is in the final year of his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension since he completed his third regular season per Article 7 of the CBA. He could be in line for an extension.
An inside believes that he should be first to get an extension.
Malcolm Koonce should be the first to get extended, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic
“Koonce seems to be the obvious first player in line, as pass rusher is a premium position and the staff seems pretty convinced he is only scratching the surface,” Tafur wrote.
Will Malcolm Koonce have an even better 2024 campaign?
PFF has Koonce listed as a breakout candidate.
“Koonce earned himself a larger role for 2024, and with 2023 eighth-overall pick Tyree Wilson still a work in progress, Koonce should be expected to play a large part in the Raiders defense next season.”
Will the Raiders extend him before the season, and how many sacks will he have in 2024?
