Four-year veteran edge defender Malcolm Koonce signed a new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. Koonce, a former third-round pick, spent the entirety of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders, Agree to Contract
Malcolm Koonce entered the final year of his rookie contract hoping to build on his breakout 2023. Unfortunately, that dream ended before it ever truly began. The veteran suffered a knee injury just before the start of the regular season which ended up sidelining him for the entire season. The Raiders struggled in his absence, as the team missed the playoffs and fired head coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco after one season.
Koonce originally entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Selected by Jon Gruden’s Las Vegas Raiders, the Buffalo product needed some time to establish himself in the NFL. The rookie was a healthy scratch for most of his rookie season, appearing in just five games without making a start while recording two sacks, three tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and two quarterback hits. Despite his lack of involvement, the team made it to the postseason but lost in the Wild Card round to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The edge defender became a regular part of the active roster in 2022 but failed to carve out a major role. Appearing in all 17 games without making a start, the second-year pro recorded nine tackles, no tackles-for-loss, and no sacks while on the field.
Despite this slow start, Malcolm Koonce had a fantastic Year 3 breakout. Appearing in 17 games while making 11 starts, the former third-round pick recorded eight sacks, 43 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, 17 quarterback hits, and an 81.3 PFF grade. Most of this production came after interim head coach Antonio Pierce replaced the ineffective Josh McDaniels.
Since signing his rookie contract, Malcolm Koonce has recorded 10 sacks, 55 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, and 19 quarterback hits in 39 games.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images
