The Las Vegas Raiders' defense has taken a complete 180 under the tutelage of Rob Leonard so far during the 2026 NFL season, but folks could still make an argument that they haven't faced a good offense yet. That'll change in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, who pose a unique challenge.
Chris Olave is obviously the straw that stirs the drink for the Saints' offense, and the run game, led by Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara, should continue to get better if the former plays. Tyler Shough also looks like a franchise QB, and their defensive front could also cause problems for the Raiders.
But it'll be interesting to see how facing a capable tight end, like New Orleans' Juwan Johnson, will change Las Vegas' defensive approach. Leonard's unit has yet to play a tight end who is both a good pass-catcher and blocker, so Johnson is really the first challenge the Raiders have had on this front.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson is significant part of offense Raiders must stop
Johnson is not just a well-rounded player, but he is versatile as well. In two games, his alignment has been varied, with 52 snaps logged in the slot, 46 inline, and even 14 outside. And Kellen Moore has his veteran tight end thriving no matter where he lines up.
Although his production may not be eye-popping, Johnson has caught seven passes for 120 yards and a touchdown so far this season. He is fast and savvy enough to break away from most linebackers, and Johnson is too physical for most defensive backs. He can be a nightmare.
And Johnson is having success in every corner of the field, catching balls across the middle and near the sideline, behind the line of scrimmage, over the top, and everywhere in between. In a lot of ways, he is who keeps opposing defenses honest when they sell out against the run or hone in on Olave.
At 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds, Johnson can be difficult to match up against. Luckily, the Raiders seem to have capable coverage linebackers and big secondary members who can hopefully stifle him. But it's not like fans can feel sure about that after the onslaught of tight ends Las Vegas has played so far.
Las Vegas hasn't been challenged by TEs yet in 2026 NFL season
For context on Johnson's receiving numbers, Las Vegas has relinquished just eight catches for 66 yards and a touchdown to opposing tight ends in two games. The fact that a player is coming in with twice the yardage production by himself is a bit daunting.
With players like Greg Dulcich, Charlie Kolar, Oronde Gadsden and David Njoku (for a half) lining up for opposing offenses, Leonard has been able to use the Raiders' linebackers in unique ways, blitzing them or having them serve as spies on mobile quarterbacks, of which Shough is also one.
Taron Johnson hasn't been challenged too much in the slot, either, as an injured Ladd McConkey wasn't too productive, and nobody in the Miami Dolphins' pass-catching corps struck any fear. This will be the most that this unit has been tested so far in the 2026 NFL season.
Instead of sending blitzes off the edge or having Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker set picks and spy on Shough, they may need to employ them in coverage more often to slow Johnson down. Surely, Leonard has a great game plan in place, but it'll be interesting to see how the philosophy changes.
Last week, we talked about Johnston being the player that the Raiders can't ignore, and they shut him down, which went a long way toward the Silver and Black emerging victorious. It'll be the same story this week with Johnson.
Add us as a preferred source on Google