5 underrated Raiders who could make a massive impact next season
By Brad Weiss
Malcolm Koonce
With the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders selected Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson. Blessed with incredible size and speed, many felt he would be a perfect complement to Maxx Crosby in the pass rush, though his rookie season was a bit of a dud.
In fact, Wilson did not begin to thrive until he was kicked inside, a move made possible by the rise of defensive end Malcolm Koonce. The former third-round pick out of Buffalo took a major step forward once Antonio Pierce was inserted as the team's interim head coach, racking up eight sacks in the team's final eight games.
Koonce and Crosby can be a dominant duo coming off the edge, and he is only going to get better now that Christian Wilkins will be on the interior at defensive tackle. If he can build off what he did last season, I could see a double-digit sack season coming from the fourth-year player, and a possible new contract.