Raiders' Thayer Munford Jr. Talks Malcolm Koonce

Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr. knows edge rusher Malcolm Koonce as well as anyone.

November 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) falls to the ground against Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest advantages for an NFL player can be who they go up against in practice.

For players like third-year Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Thayer Munford Jr., going up against one of the most stacked defensive lines in the league can give you quite an edge.

Munford has the benefit of facing Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce, one of the team's most promising up-and-comers.

"Man, Malcolm, he's quiet, he doesn't really say too much," Munford said on Tuesday. "He comes into work every day, does what he does, and he works hard. He doesn't blink twice at anything. He'll get mad over a couple reps, but also, at the same time, though, he has that mentality of a dog. He don't really care what y'all think or anybody else thinks, for real. So, it's just like, all right, let's keep it going. That's how everybody is on the team."

Koonce comes off a career season in which he made 11 starts while appearing in all 17 games. He totaled 43 tackles, nine for loss, eight sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles.

In what was his third year with the Raiders, Koonce finally blossomed into his own. He became one of the more prominent threats on the defensive line, serving as Raiders All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby's partner in crime.

Koonce discussed his 2023 season last month when he joined an episode of "Upon Further Review."

"[At] the beginning of the year, I kind of had a whole bunch of missed sacks, so I kind of got in the mindset of just like, 'Don't think about it, just rush' to try to play as good as I can," Koonce said. "So then, when the sacks finally started to come, I kind of was already in the habit of just not even focusing on it, so as the stats kind of stacked up and stuff like that, I didn't realize until after the season like, 'Oh, I actually did something really good.'"

The Raiders drafted Koonce in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Already entering his fourth season, the expectations are going to be higher for the soon-to-be 26-year-old edge rusher.