Raiders' Defensive Moves Give Leonard a Chance at Early Success

The Las Vegas Raiders are already significantly improved in just the first few weeks of free agency.

Keeping It All in Perspective

Las Vegas has had one of the worst, and lowest-paid defenses in the National Football League over the past few seasons. This is especially true minus the contracts of Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby, as well as the recent wave of free agents the Raiders just signed.

The Raiders have lacked the talent on defense to compete at a high, or consistent level. Entering this offseason, the Raiders' roster on defense was set to take a massive hit, with the potential losses of Devin White, Elandon Roberts, and Jamal Adams, all of whom signed one-year deals last offseason.

All three of those players are on the backend of their respective careers, but were still better than what the Raiders had at linebacker behind them on the depth chart. Losing all three would have been a blow for Klint Kubiak, and defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, no matter what.

That is, until the Raiders went and spent big money early in free agency to solidify the position group. Las Vegas' front office spent many millions on Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker. They still have the option to re-sign White, Roberts, or Adams to help add further depth, as all three still have value.

The Raiders' defense still has plenty of work to do, but with the addition of Dean, Walker, and Kwity Paye, Leonard has already been handed more than the Raiders' most recent defensive coordinator. Leonard will also be on the other side of a much-improved offense, which will help immensely.

Las Vegas' roster needs help at cornerback, which could be the roster's fatal flaw heading into the 2026 season. However, the Raiders plan on taking their time with a first-time head coach in Kubiak, a first-time defensive coordinator in Leonard, and a rookie quarterback in Fernando Mendoza.

The Raiders made solid defensive additions in free agency. They also kept several of their own free agents who will quietly be vital pieces in turning things around. This includes Eric Stokes, Malcolm Koonce, Thomas Butler, and Charles Snowden. Las Vegas has rounded out nicely at several positions.

Las Vegas' defensive backfield needs to be revamped. That will likely happen between the rest of this offseason and next offseason. This would improve the Raiders' roster even more, and keep quality talent on the roster for many seasons to come, which is a critical part of team-building as well.

All in all, Raiders general manager John Spytek has done a solid job at significantly improving Las Vegas' roster in a quick manner. However, it will take more than one offseason to truly fix what has been one of the league's worst rosters over the last decade.

Las Vegas still needs several additions on defense, but their roster changes, and Leonard's creativity and playcalling, have a chance to lead to more success in his first few seasons at the helm than some may think.