There has been much discussion about how successful the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense was over the second half of last season.

Few players on the Raiders’ defense had as much to do with the unit’s improvement over that span as veteran defensive end Malcolm Koonce. Over the final nine games of last season, Koonce registered eight sacks after coming close but not registering any sacks at all in the first eight games of the season.

Koonce’s emergence played a significant role in the defense’s success once Coach Antonio Pierce took over. It is no coincidence that the defense ascended as a unit once Koonce’s play began to impact the stat sheet. The Raiders searched unsuccessfully for a dependable defensive end opposite veteran Maxx Crosby for many seasons but seemed to have finally found one in Koonce.

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said Koonce’s success has been self-fulfilling. The talented defensive end continued to grow as he saw more success from week to week. Graham noted that Koonce has taken his game to another level this offseason by evolving into a leader and sharing what he has learned with the younger players on the roster.

“Success builds confidence,” Graham said at training camp recently. “And then how you sustain is through understanding the process in terms of your preparation. I’m very pleased with how he’s prepared for this season, and the focus that he’s had, and the fact that the leadership’s coming out because you can see the confidence.

“It’s just radiating off his body. You can feel it out there. And I’m sure he knows he has to get better every day and he knows he’s got to prove it out here on this field, but there’s a confidence in him right now. I mean, you’ll have to talk to him about it, but I can feel it. I can see it. And you know, we hope it translates to plays on the field.”

The Raiders’ defense is entering the third season with Graham as the defensive coordinator, and there are few players with more on the line or that the Raiders defense will depend on more this upcoming season than Koonce. As the Raiders defense looks to take the next step, it will be critical for Koonce to pick up where he left off at the end of last season.