The Las Vegas Raiders have been among the biggest winners of free agency. Tyler Linderbaum's record-setting contract, which shattered the market for an interior offensive lineman, has received much of the headlines, but it was the other side of the ball where the franchise took the biggest leap.
Great moves included bringing back Eric Stokes and Malcolm Koonce, while trading for or signing Taron Johnson, Kwity Paye, Nakobe Dean, and Quay Walker. Those moves solidified the unit, while the cancelled Maxx Crosby trade has given the group the opportunity to take a legitimate leap in 2026.
For the first time in a long time, Raiders fans have every right to be optimistic about the defense, which has improved at all three levels. ESPN's Ben Solak acknowledged the leap while sharing a lofty prediction that would excite even the most optimistic portion of the fanbase.
Raiders fans should be thrilled with newly formed defense in Las Vegas
John Spytek has really begun to put his fingerprints on the roster this offseason. The second-year general manager has focused on acquiring young talent, almost exclusively adding players who should still be in their prime when projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza begins to ascend.
ESPN's Solak acknowledged Las Vegas' strong offseason in a recent piece, ranking the team as the seventh-most improved roster in the league. But he also shared some fairly lofty expectations for the defense under first-year coordinator Rob Leonard.
"I loved: Double-dipping at linebacker. The starting LB market is pretty reasonable, as both Walker and Dean got less money than players like Cor'Dale Flott, Bradley Chubb and Alijah Vera-Tucker. Walker and Dean were teammates at Georgia and complemented one another nicely. The Raiders' linebacker play was unspeakably poor last season, and anything less than a total overhaul would have limited the defense. There are still question marks at defensive tackle and outside corner, but don't be surprised if the Raiders' defense is a fringe top-10 unit now -- at least as long as Maxx Crosby is back for another year."
Even a fringe top-ten unit on defense is something that every fan would sign up for in a heartbeat. Consider this: Despite having Crosby on the roster for the past seven seasons, 2023 was the only time in his career that the unit has ranked better than 24th in scoring defense.
In fact, since reaching the Super Bowl in 2002, that 2023 season is the only time that the Raiders have finished in the top half of the NFL in scoring defense. The 2006 season, when they finished just 2-14 due to a league-worst offense, was the only other finish better than 20th, as they ranked 18th.
Last year's defense ranked 25th in scoring, so improving to a fringe top-ten unit would be a massive step in the right direction. Again, it'll be Leonard's first time calling defensive plays, and the Raiders still need to bolster the depth of the group dramatically.
Solak also noted that there is still work to be done, with many believing the starting nose tackle and deep safety may not even be on the roster yet. Still, the fact that Las Vegas' defense is already getting national praise shows that Spytek has the unit on the right path.