The Las Vegas Raiders' defense hasn't necessarily been bad the last few years. Uninspiring? Sure. They've had their share of issues, but Patrick Graham's unit was just slightly below solid, and their "bend, don't break" approach certainly kept the team in more games than the offense did.
But this is a new era for the Silver and Black, and the standards aren't the same. Rob Leonard, who is now leading the unit after serving as a promising assistant for several years, will be expected to help this team win games, not just prevent losing. There's a stark difference in these two philosophies.
Part of that is modernizing the scheme and keeping opposing offenses on their toes. Utilizing the group's versatility to disguise what the defense is doing is a key piece of that, too. The biggest part, though, and what Raider Nation wants to see, is flying after the ball and getting lots of takeaways.
It's early in OTAs, but Las Vegas' unit is showing signs of becoming that kind of crew.
Las Vegas Raiders' defense is flying around and getting takeaways at OTAs
Defenses are typically ahead of offenses at this stage of the offseason, and contact isn't allowed during OTAs, either, so keep that in mind. But what fans and the coaching staff should be looking for in this phase are patterns developing and the approach of certain players and groups.
Although the local media have only been able to attend three OTA practices, they have already been privy to a handful of big plays from the defense. Yes, they've had their share of breakdowns as well, but the group seems to be much more aggressive and ballhawking than in years past.
Over the last four years under Patrick Graham, the team never ranked in the NFL's top half in terms of takeaways. They finished 32nd, 19th, 29th and 23rd from 2022 to 2025, averaging just 6.5 fumble recoveries and 9.3 interceptions per year. That's 15.8 takeaways on average, less than one per game.
That should shift under Leonard, and it seems like early signs of that are starting to shine through.
During last week's practice, Jeremy Chinn came down with an interception on a ball thrown by Kirk Cousins. The defensive line was also getting active, as UDFA defensive tackle Gary Smith III got his hands on a pass at the line of scrimmage thrown by Fernando Mendoza.
Even though the two units have been trading blows and the offense has also had its share of good moments, it doesn't seem as if the Raiders' defense is making it easy on them. Touchdowns are coming on leaping grabs and in tight windows near the sideline, which is still ideal for Leonard's unit.
On Wednesday, Las Vegas got back into the takeaway column with a Quay Walker interception, as he caught a deflected pass. Credit can be given to two players: Whoever got active and had their hands on the ball to begin with, and Walker for his awareness and hauling it in.
The fun didn't stop there, though, as several other players on the Raiders' defense reportedly broke up passes thrown by Aidan O'Connell during the latest OTA practice, including fifth-round rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses. This unit, much more so than in years past, is flying after the ball.
Now, is this a mere coincidence or a hot streak? Based on what the messaging has been from the coaching staff in Las Vegas, no. When asked after Wednesday's OTA practice about the vision for the defense, Leonard gave a peek behind the curtain as to what he's preaching, and it's along these lines.
"Style of play, man. I told 'em I'm going to coach the defense like I coach the D-line," Leonard said. "Not going one for one, attacking the ball, effort and pursuit."
Just one day prior to Leonard's media availability, the Raiders' defensive assistants had press conferences and spoke about the defense's commitment to aggression and attacking. When asked about this, Leonard spoke about the importance of this approach.
"Yeah, I'm a little crazy. I would like them to play fast, even at the cost of a mental error," Leonard explained. "I don't like to see hesitation on the field. So, even if you're unsure, make a decision and go, and let us coach. Let us do our job. I don't want any slow blinkers out there. So, still going into how we play box, how we attack the ball, how we run to the ball. You can't take it away if you don't run to the ball. Just staying with that mindset and instilling confidence in them that they can play that way, that they have the freedom from me. I don't care about a bust over that. That's not the difference of winning and losing to me."
Leonard then spoke in a bit more detail about the defensive backfield being comprised of players who got a lot of takeaways in college.
"If it's up, it's ours," Leonard said. "It's hard right now in the offseason, but you can see when a guy's in a position to make a play, anticipation out of breaks. That's why I think individual (drills are) so important, giving the coaches their indy time to rep change of direction, not taking anything for granted there, not just doing schematic-type things. Putting them in a position to do things that they would do in a game, so that they can confidently do it and attack the ball. That's what's really important."
Simply put, this Raiders defense isn't going to be like others in recent memory. This group is going to have a "see ball, get ball" mentality, not one that revolves around preventing a big play and keeping the ball in front of them. Takeaways are of the utmost importance for Leonard and Co.
And although it is just OTAs, Las Vegas' group is already showing signs of making that leap. With a much-improved front seven, the Silver and Black's secondary can afford to be more opportunistic in the way that Leonard wants them to be.
These are early glimpses of what the Raiders' defense can truly be, which is seemingly something very special.
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