How Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce was Able to Find his Groove Last Season

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce comes off a career campaign.

Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce (51) during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports | Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce is one of the most highly-anticipated players on defense going into this season. With All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby leading the way and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins joining the mix, a lot of eyes will be on Koonce as the third head of that trio.

Koonce had himself a career 2023 campaign. He seemed to flip the switch around Week 7 and came into his own when Coach Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach after Week 8.

"I think it's just trust myself just understanding how my body moves, understanding my body mechanics," Koonce told reporters on Tuesday. "Like, my rush isn't going to look the same as somebody else's rush. So, just understanding that."

Much of what determined Koonce's breakout year was his new-found confidence.

"I mean, for me, personally, I think it was more like not getting down on myself," Koonce said. "Like, say if I didn't get home or get a sack or something like that, I don't know, I feel like when I was younger, it kind of just made me like get discouraged a little bit, so I guess it just came down to powering through that and just trusting older guys like Maxx telling me like, 'It's going to happen, just keep on keeping on.'"

As the season progressed, Koonce was rewarded with more and more snaps. He saw 27% of defensive snaps in Week 1 and 72% of defensive snaps in Week 18.

"It does come down to getting opportunities and stuff like that, but ultimately, the coach has got to trust me to be out there to do my job," Koonce said. "So, I think it was also getting the coaches' trust and stuff like that."

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