Malcolm Koonce is an Early Breakout Candidate for 2024
The Las Vegas Raiders ended the 2023-24 NFL regular season finishing with a top-10 defense.
Many key aspects were a part of the reason why the Raiders finished there, however, the Raiders' defensive line was led by a dynamic duo at defensive end -- Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.
In a recent Pro Football Focus article, the website listed an early breakout candidate for all 32 NFL teams, and edge rusher Koonce is listed as the Raiders' early breakout candidate for next season.
During the back half of the 2023-24 NFL regular season, Koonce became a well-known edge rusher and put the entire league on notice. He finished the season with a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.3, a run defense grade of 66.3, and a pass rush grade of 78.9.
From Weeks 9-18 Koonce finished with an 83.4 PFF rating, which ranked him among the top 15 at his position.
Koonce finished the season with 32 solo tackles, 11 assists and 8.0 sacks in 17 games in his third year as an edge rusher for the Silver and Black. He has 40 solo tackles, 15 assists and 10 sacks in his career.
Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Malcolm Koonce listed as an early breakout candidate for 2024-25 NFL season
His best game this season came in Week 16 on Christmas Day against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Koonce finished the game with six combined tackles, one assist and three sacks.
Koonce is expected to play a large role next season as a valuable edge rusher for the Silver and Black defense.
Here is Pro Football Focus's full list of an early breakout candidate for all 32 teams for the 2024-25 NFL regular season.
From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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