The Las Vegas Raiders surprised the draft media by taking Malcolm Koonce out of Buffalo in the third round. After plenty of production at Buffalo, he was underrated in the 2021 draft as an edge rusher. He spent his first two seasons on special teams, and when Josh McDaniel was replaced by Antonio Piece, he got his shot with increased playing time.
Koonce took full advantage of the opportunity to have a breakout finish in 2023. According to PFF, he ended up with 52 pressures and 8 sacks on the season. He and Crosby became a tandem that left quarterbacks worried before games and put on a show late in the season at Arrowhead.