Raiders: Malcolm Koonce will benefit from Chandler Jones arriving
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders brought in an elite talent in Chandler Jones this offseason, and Malcolm Koonce is going to benefit from his arrival.
In the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders drafted University of Buffalo edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, adding to a position group that was deemed a strength. Earlier in the offseason, the Silver and Black had added Yannick Ngakoue in free agency, and holdover Maxx Crosby had become one of the best edge rushers in the NFL.
Koonce was not drafted to start right away, but to sit and learn behind Ngakoue and Crosby, and he appeared in only five games. However, in those five games, Koonce had two sacks, finding the quarterback in back-to-back weeks in losses to both the then-Washington Football Team, and Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2022, Koonce will once again be a backup, as the team brought in Chandler Jones via free agency, while trading away Ngakoue, and he is going to benefit in a big way from Jones’s arrival. This is a guy who has been an All-Pro at the NFL level, and with Crosby in that category now as well, you could not have a better tandem for a young edge rusher to learn behind.
In the interior, Las Vegas got Johnathan Hankins to return to the fold, and have added quality defensive tackles for the second straight offseason, so you have to think this is going to be a dominant defensive line.
Raiders loaded on defense in 2022
All told, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to this Raiders defense, as they have playmaking talent on all three levels for the first time in a long time. For Koonce, he will also be aided by the fact the team released Carl Nassib this offseason, as he was another hurdle for him in terms of the depth chart.
Koonce is only 23-years old and has a very long career in front of him. Based on the talent in front of him, he may not round into a starter for a few more seasons, but if there is any young player that is going to benefit from the players in front of him in 2022, you have to think that Koonce is right at the top of that list.