- One of the league's best run units: Las Vegas boasts the sixth-highest team PFF run-defense grade, with corners Taron Johnson and Hezekiah Masses crashing down to create havoc.
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Over the last few NFL seasons, a growing number of first-time head coaches have risen to the top of the sport. Many such names have wasted almost no time making an immediate impact, climbing summits rarely seen for decades-old franchises. Consider newcomers Ben Johnson and Liam Coen guiding the Bears and Jaguars, respectively, to the 2025 playoffs, or Mike Macdonald winning a title in his second season with the Seahawks.
In 2026, that refrain has continued to ring true — but perhaps not quite with the team many expected.
The jury is still out on new leaders like the Bills’ Joe Brady, the Ravens’ Jesse Minter and even the Browns’ Todd Monken, all of whom have impressed in fair regard to start the season. But through three weeks of the 2026 campaign, the nascent coach opening the most eyes is the Raiders’ Klint Kubiak.
Kubiak has Las Vegas off to a wildly unexpected 3-0 start, helping a dreary franchise to its best start in five years. While Kubiak’s offensive background has provided some sparks, the real anchor of the team’s early success is its defense.
Through three games, the Raiders’ defense ranks second in EPA per play, fifth in yards per play allowed and second in scoring drive rate. The company that the team occupies is among some of the league’s consistently elite units on that side like Seattle, Minnesota, New England and Jacksonville. Given Las Vegas owning a first-year defensive coordinator in Rob Leonard, that feat is all the more incredible.
Just how have the Raiders established such an unanticipated yet stout group? Much of it hinges around unsung players rising to the occasion.
The natural headliner is, of course, star Maxx Crosby. Following a whirlwind offseason in which the All-Pro was nearly traded to Baltimore, Crosby has responded by performing at an otherworldly level. His 89.9 overall PFF grade (pending final review of Week 3) is the third-best among qualified edge defenders, ranking in the top four in both pass-rush mark (83.4) and run-defense grade (79.0).
Crosby’s individual acumen usually hasn’t been enough to lift Las Vegas to a collectively good defense, let alone actual team success. This year, though, he’s received some serious help, particularly along the defensive line.
While edge rusher Kwity Paye was the Raider to sign a big-ticket deal in free agency, it’s actually the returning Malcolm Koonce that has shown remarkable development. The former third-round pick has been transcendent in 2026, racking up 11 pressures and three sacks on only 60 pass-rushing snaps — six of which came in Week 3 against the Saints. Koonce’s 17.9% pass-rush win rate is the 11th-highest among qualified edge defenders, a notable step up from his 2025 form while recovering from an ACL tear.
Moving one level back is also an area in which the Raiders have already reaped meaningful rewards: The team’s linebacker group owns the fourth-best overall PFF grade through three weeks. Former Eagles stud Nakobe Dean has recorded a preliminary 75.6 overall PFF grade, the eighth-best among qualifiers, while ex-Packer Quay Walker has also chipped in with a 71.9 PFF run-defense grade — the 11th-highest among his peers.
Highest-graded defensive players who changed teams in 2026 offseason (min. 115 snaps)
PlayerPositionTeamOverall PFF Grade*Trent McDuffieCBRams91.1Amik RobertsonCBCommanders88.4Dexter LawrenceDlBengals86.1Boye MafeEDGEBengals80.8Cameron ThomasEDGEFalcons79.0C.J. Gardner-JohnsonSBills77.2Jamel DeanCBSteelers77.1Nakobe DeanLBRaiders75.6*Grades pending final review of Week 3Las Vegas invested a combined $124 million in signing Paye, Dean and Walker this offseason alone, moves that may have been met with skepticism — but the initial results are promising. The Raiders boast the second-best team PFF pass-rush grade (80.6) and the fourth-best pressure figure (42.5%).
From a volume perspective, Las Vegas has tallied 20-plus pressures in each of its first three contests, pending final review of Week 3. Throughout all of 2025, the Raiders played three such games. What’s especially intriguing is that Leonhard has found a formula to disrupt quarterbacks without sending extra heat, blitzing at just a 25.7% clip — the sixth-lowest in the league.
Likewise, Leonard’s run defense has taken a similar leap. Through Week 3, the Raiders are second in rushing EPA per play and sixth in team PFF run-defense grade (74.6). Six players currently own a 70.0-plus PFF run-defense grade, including trade acquisition Taron Johnson and rookie Hezekiah Masses — who both rank among the 13 highest-graded secondary players in defending the run.
What Kubiak and Leonard have already accomplished is worth celebrating, converting one of the league’s most uninspiring teams into a must-watch storyline moving forward. Like other alluring young defensive coordinators, Leonard seems to have galvanized a group that punched above its weight in 2025 but is quickly establishing itself as one of the foremost in the sport.
The overarching question for Las Vegas is how much of this white-hot start is sustainable. For one, the Raiders’ offense hasn’t been extremely dynamic, sitting 25th in success rate and tied for 20th in average yards per play through the early going. However, Kirk Cousins has been effective as the bridge starter, netting a 73.7 PFF passing grade that ranks 12th among 26 qualified passers.
There are also aspects of Las Vegas’ defense that will fall further under the microscope. The Raiders sit 26th in PFF coverage grade, with every starting member of the secondary — including standout Eric Stokes — producing a sub-56.5 coverage mark through three games. On top of that, the team has had issues in the red zone, allowing a 58.3% conversion rate that ranks fifth-worst.
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Moreover, quality of competition isn’t something that can be controlled, but it is important to acknowledge. The Raiders’ road win over the Saints is notable, but the team has also faced two of the league’s least efficient offenses in the Chargers and Dolphins.
For Kubiak to go so far as to make the postseason in his inaugural season, he’ll also need to hold his own in an AFC West that features two other powerhouses in the Chiefs and Broncos. The team’s upcoming four-game slate against Kansas City, the Patriots, Bills and Rams should cast a clearer picture about its capabilities.
Regardless of what happens entering the midseason point, the Raiders’ defense is making noise that’s growing impossible to ignore, showing progress much faster than anticipated. A tenacious pass rush and stingy run defense are capable ingredients that can throw off plenty of game plans — something Leonard and Kubiak have started to introduce to an organization that’s yearned for results like this for over 20 years.