Patrick Graham wasn't a bad defensive coordinator by any means, but he and the Las Vegas Raiders both needed a change of scenery after four unremarkable years together. Enter Rob Leonard, the highly-respected DL coach who studied under some great minds and was ready for a promotion.
So far, Klint Kubiak surely hasn't regretted giving Leonard the keys to the defense, as his group has played well through two games, giving up just 13.5 points per contest. The pass rush looks good, the secondary is flying around, and the linebackers have opened up a new world for that side of the ball.
But when it comes to an NFL defense, and specifically evaluating a defensive coordinator, it's about more than just the bottom line of points allowed; it's about the scheme and approach, and how the individual players are performing and responding to coaching.
And Leonard has transformed this defense through two games of the 2026 NFL season.
Rob Leonard has changed Raiders' defensive scheme dramatically
Much was made of the switch to a 3-4 under Leonard from a 4-2-5 or 4-3 under Graham. But it's not as much about what the base alignment is; it's about the creativity that Leonard displays, whether that is on the back end in coverage, with blitzes or with pressure sims.
Against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, Leonard had Malik Willis in a blender with his exotic coverages, and Justin Herbert had issues in Week 2 as well, throwing two interceptions and completing just 55.6% of his passes. Last year, it was pretty much all basic Cover 3. Not anymore, though.
Las Vegas is utilizing plenty of different coverages; as over two weeks, they've been primarily in Cover 3, but they've also mixed in a healthy dose of Cover 1, Cover 2 and Cover 4 zone, as well as Cover 0, 1 and 2 man. Offenses have no clue what they will drop back into.
Not only is the secondary getting takeaways as a result of these disguised looks, but they are making life much easier for the defensive line. Their ability to cover has allowed the Raiders' front to get home often, and opposing quarterbacks have taken a beating against the Silver and Black thus far.
Up front, Las Vegas has thrived even without Maxx Crosby playing every snap, as the versatility of players like Kwity Paye, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean is giving offensive coordinators fits. They don't know on a given play what these players will do, or even where they will line up.
Instead of having two inside linebackers who will either come up to stop the run or give up receptions in coverage, as has been the case over the years, the Raiders are deploying Dean and Walker as weapons. They blitz, they drop into coverage, they line up on the edge, they set picks, and more.
Far more than in years past, Leonard has been able to run rubs or stunts to allow defensive linemen to have wide-open lanes to the passer. And he's been able to scheme up 1-on-1s for Crosby more creatively, which is almost always a major win for the Raiders' defense.
Yes, the talent is better on the Las Vegas defense this year, but the creativity is also way better. This is a modern NFL defense that can take the ball away, get after the quarterback in a variety of ways and hide its intentions with versatile players and multiple looks. That is a huge credit to Leonard.
Raiders' defensive production is much better under Rob Leonard
Schematically, Leonard is showing a lot of promise, but the pure production has been there as well. And while the Raiders didn't play the best foe in Week 1, their Week 2 showing against a much better opponent proved that this defense is the real deal. At the very least, way better than last year.
Stat | NFL Rank (2025) | NFL Rank (2026) |
|---|---|---|
Yards Per Game Allowed | 14th | 9th |
Points Per Game Allowed | 25th | 5th |
Takeaways | T-25th | T-2nd |
Interceptions | T-23rd | 2nd |
Sacks | T-18th | T-1st |
Completion % Allowed | T-29th | 2nd |
By every barometer that counts, the Las Vegas defense has improved this year. And it should be noted that the Raiders' defense wouldn't have even finished 18th in sacks in 2025 if not for an 8-sack performance in the season finale against the Kansas City Chiefs' third-stringers.
Graham's defense was built on taking away explosive plays, but not necessarily on making things happen. They weren't flying around in the secondary to get takeaways, punching the ball out or getting a lot of sacks. And the results of that were mixed.
Sure, they didn't give up a lot of big plays, but drives against the Raiders' defense took forever. They often bent and didn't break, but they never allowed the offense to stay in a rhythm. They gave up a ton of points and didn't create havoc or give the ball back to their offense at all.
In 2026, Leonard's defense is one of the most havoc-creating units in the league. They have the most sacks and the second-highest pressure rate, despite having the 8th-lowest blitz rate. Their EPA per play is -0.275, the best in the NFL, and against the pass and run, they are fourth and first, respectively.
From a production standpoint, this unit is dominating. From a schematic standpoint, Leonard is flexing his creative muscles. In just his first two games as the Raiders' defensive coordinator, Leonard deserves his flowers, not just for what the results have been, but for how he is transforming the unit.
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