The Las Vegas Raiders' success over the last two seasons has largely been predicated on having a stingy defense. Patrick Graham has remained the defensive coordinator through three different regimes now, so having him as a consistent piece has paid dividends for the Silver and Black.
In particular, the Raiders' defensive line has been difficult to contain when healthy, highlighted by star Maxx Crosby and a strong supporting cast that featured players like Christian Wilkins, Malcolm Koonce, Adam Butler and an emerging Tyree Wilson.
With Wilkins now out of the picture and players like Thomas Booker IV and Jonah Laulu answering the call, the expectations remained the same. However, both Koonce and Wilson have gotten off to rough starts in the 2025 NFL season, which was evident in Week 3, and they need to rebound fast.
Raiders' defensive line can finally get on right track against Bears
Crosby is the third-highest rated defender on the Las Vegas defense with a rating of 72.8, according to Pro Football Focus. This is due to a team-high 11 pressures, 2.0 sacks and three quarterback hits, as well as a pass-rush grade of 68.1, which also ranks third on the team.
Wilson and Koonce, however, have earned marks of just 55.4 and 37.7, which are 15th and 21st out of 22 qualifying players on the Raiders' defense, respectively. Koonce's grade is actually 153rd out of 155 edge rushers in the NFL, so he has been one of the worst players at the position this season.
That all could change rapidly in Week 4 as the Raiders face an incredibly below-average Chicago Bears offensive line. Braxton Jones is the starter at left tackle, and his 60.8 PFF rating is barely average. He's also been whistled for a penalty and has a below-average pass-blocking score.
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At right tackle, the team will be without Darnell Wright, as he is out with an elbow injury. That means undrafted rookie Theo Benedet, a Canadian player who was a fan favorite on Hard Knocks this offseason, will start at right tackle.
While he has fared well in his nine NFL snaps, recording a PFF pass-blocking score of 73.9, that number drops to just 64.2 in true passing sets. Plus, he has such little experience that even his 6-foot-7 frame is not likely to be enough to contain Crosby.
Wright was one of the worst tackles in the league before his injury, and he continued to get worse throughout the Bears' three games this season and had already been penalized a whopping six times. Raiders fans should not be worried about a player who was not good enough to supplant Wright.
Both Koonce and Wilson have struggled this year, but Sunday's matchup feels like a great time for them to get back on track. With Crosby hopefully dominating Benedet on the right side, there should be plenty of open lanes for the others on the defensive line, which may finally get this group humming.