An Overview of the Las Vegas Raiders Defense
The Raiders' defense was a mixed bag in 2025. They were 30th in completion percentage, and just five teams recorded fewer interceptions, but they were middle of the pack in yards and yards per attempt. The run defense was stingy, as one of four teams allowing less than four yards per carry, but only two teams surrendered more rushing scores. The pass rush was respectable with 37 sacks, but they were 23rd in takeaways, so forth and so on. The fact is, none of that matters because this is a completely different team, revamped from the ground up.
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It starts with defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. He is a holdover from the previous regime and has been with the team as a defensive line coach since 2023. Familiarity and continuity can be big factors, so Leonard's relationship with most of the players is a plus. That, however, is where the old way ends.
Leonard brings a change from the 4-3 under the previous regime to a shifting, multiple-front, 3-4 base hybrid scheme. There are several new faces, including at least four new starters. For all of the holdovers, there will be new alignments and responsibilities, often changing from play to play. Leonard's approach is to play fast, be disruptive, and keep the opponent guessing.
The aggressive style should be a plus for fantasy production. In the long term, it could bring the Raiders back to the playoff conversation. In the short term, there could be growing pains. It is a complicated system that will take a while to fully implement. The challenge will be to get everyone to react as quickly as possible, rather than think.
Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Linemen
Arguably, the best thing to happen to the Raiders' defense this offseason was the Ravens' reneging on the Maxx Crosby trade. Coincidentally, it was probably the best thing that could have happened to Crosby as well, at least when it comes to fantasy value. He has become one of the elite edge defenders in both the NFL and fantasy. His tenacious style of play and refusal to come off the field are trademarks of his game and an inspiration to his teammates. Let's hope the new coaching situation doesn't ruin any of that.
If not for an injury-shortened 2024, Crosby would be on a run of four seasons with at least 73 combined tackles and double-digit sacks. His numbers were down slightly last year at 45-28-10 with 3 turnovers. That was because the organization forced him, against his will, to skip the final two games. In the team's defense, Crosby was playing through an injury, and they wanted him healthy so he could be traded, so much for that plan.
Even though he was two games short, Crosby was the number three edge defender in 2025. I am a bit concerned that his fit and role in the new scheme could adversely affect his stat sheet. Even so, it would be a shock to see Crosby fall short of the top 5.
The team signed free agent Kwity Paye to start opposite Crosby. The 2021 first-round pick of the Colts managed 30 sacks for them in five seasons, so we can't really call him a bust, but he failed to fully live up to expectations. Paye is a talented player with a lot of potential. The opportunity to start fresh in a different scheme where he can work from a two-point stance much of the time could be just what Paye needs to jump-start his career. Slip him onto your sleeper list and watch closely.
The team moved on from Tyree Wilson and Charles Snowden, who were deemed not to be a good fit. That makes holdover Malcolm Koonce and rookie third-round pick Keyron Crawford the likely backups on the edge. Assuming that Crosby wins and continues to play 98% of the snaps as he has in the past, Koonce would likely share time with Paye. At least that would be the plan going into the season.
The Raiders' third-round pick in 2021, Koonce had somewhat of a breakout season in 2023 when he finished 32-11-8 with 3 forced fumbles. The team had high expectations that he would develop into a force for them. Then disaster struck as he missed all of 2024 with an injury. Koonce was back on the field last season, but was not the same player. Working in a rotational role with Wilson and Snowden, he put up 30 tackles and 4 sacks. Two years removed from the injury, Koonce is fully healthy and could be a perfect fit in the new scheme. He will likely split time with Paye, but it would be no surprise if Koonce proves to be the more productive of the two.
The rookie is an athletic but rather raw prospect who will see some passing-down action early in his career. He has work to do before he can be a major contributor.
Generally speaking, when a team moves from a 4-3 to a 3-4, there are multiple changes among the down linemen. The Raiders' only addition at tackle is seventh-round rookie Brandon Cleveland, who is a developmental guy. This is because they have a group of players at the position who should transition well to the new plan.
Adam Butler started his career in New England, where he worked in a scheme that used multiple fronts and a lot of 3-4, so he is no stranger. Butler is penciled in at nose tackle, though he could end up working at one of the outside spots much of the time. He is an active player who gets off blocks to make tackles in a phone booth. Butler had 50 stops last season. Though he got to the quarterback once in 2025, the man has some wiggle for a 300-pounder. He has 28 career sacks, including five in 2023 and 5 more in 2024, when he added 61 tackles and was a significant fantasy factor. He should fit the plan well. We will have to see if it translates to the stat sheet.
Butler is not the only player of interest here for those who start tackles. The Colts used a seventh-round pick on Jonah Laulu in 2024. He failed to make the cut and was picked up by the Raiders. He was a rotational backup as a rookie. In 2025, Laulu led the team's interior linemen in snaps with 764, posting 51 tackles, 4 sacks, and 5 swatted passes. He is mobile and quick for a big man, has some wiggle, and is set to be a starter again this year.
Laulu got off to a fast start last year, then faded until late in the season when he started showing up again. He could flourish in the new scheme and is a player we will want to keep an eye on this summer.
The Raiders had no big space-eating interior lineman on the roster, so they signed 335-pound Benito Jones. He will see some action at nose tackle, and could allow the Raiders to roll with Butler and Laulu as their outside guys.
There are two others in the mix for playing time. Thomas Booker IV was an early down defensive end for the team last year. At 301 pounds, he will transition inside in the new scheme, likely providing depth. Last year's fourth-round pick, Tonka Hemingway, will also see action at tackle and could be a surprise contributor. He worked less than 200 snaps as a rookie, contributing 9 stops, 4 sacks, a fumble recovery, and a batted pass.
- Edge Maxx Crosby –Excellent #1, no matter the scheme
- Edge Malcolm Koonce – Sleeper with good potential
- Edge Kwity Paye – Could find a fit in this scheme
- Edge Keyron Crawford – Develop[mental rookie
- DT Adam Butler – DT2 candidate with upside
- DT Jonah Laulu – DT2 candidate with upside
- DT Tonka Hemingway – Watch list
- DT JJ Pegues – No expectations