Things are looking up for a Las Vegas Raiders defense that has been mostly terrible for two decades. Much of that is thanks to coaches Antonio Pierce and Patrick Graham but it's also due to some players starting to step up.
Perhaps the biggest breakout player for the Raiders last season was defensive end Malcolm Koonce. He had 2.0 combined sacks through his first two seasons but was able to get 8.0 in 2023. One could argue that 2023 was his breakout year, but it's possible that he's only scratching the surface.
Matt Holder of Bleacher Report went through and predicted the biggest breakout player for each NFL team and listed Koonce for the Raiders.
"Koonce is another pass-rusher who was quiet up until last season, totaling just two sacks in 2021 and 2022 combined," Holder wrote. "However, he burst onto the scene in 2023 with eight sacks in the Raiders' last nine games of the year in addition to forcing three fumbles. The Buffalo product also made strides as a run defender, earning his first PFF grade above 60 (66.3).
"With Maxx Crosby and now Christian Wilkins on the defensive line in Las Vegas, it can be easy for opposing offenses to forget about Koonce, so look for him to build off last season's momentum and have a big performance in a contract year."
A "breakout" year for Koonce would likely need to have him get 10.0 or more sacks. It's certainly possible. He didn't have much of a role to start last season but started making an impact as he got more snaps. Unless Tyree Wilson is ready for a Khalil Mack-like leap in Year 2, it's unlikely he'll take too many snaps away from Koonce.
Koonce is in a contract year so he's got a lot of money riding on what he does in 2024. If he improves on his 2023 season, he's going to get a massive contract that pays him well over $10 million a season.