The ascension of Malcolm Koonce was one of the best storylines during the Las Vegas Raiders 2023 season. After barely getting any playing time during his first two seasons with the Raiders — under 120 snaps in both years combined — Koonce finally got a bigger opportunity with 11 starts and made the most of it.
Coming into last fall, the 2021 third-round pick only had two sacks, 12 total tackles and six pressures, per Pro Football Focus, during his first couple of years in the NFL. Last season alone he exploded for career highs in every statistical category with 43 tackles, eight sacks and 52 pressures.