The Las Vegas Raiders had dreams of a Malcolm Koonce-Maxx Crosby pairing off the edge ahead of the 2024 campaign, but that hope was quickly dashed before it got off the ground.
Before Week 1, Koonce suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice, which was especially brutal because the former third-round pick was coming off a career year that saw him tally eight sacks and was in the final year of his rookie contract.
While that will no doubt hurt his stock, Koonce should still draw plenty of interest on the open market in 2025, as impact pass-rushers are in demand around the NFL.
But Bleacher Report's Scouting Department believes Koonce will end up back in Las Vegas.
A lot of things have gone wrong for the Raiders this season, but losing Malcolm Koonce for the season remains one of the most disappointing. The 26-year-old seemed to have broken out with eight sacks in 2023 and was primed to take another jump in 2024 to give the Raiders a scary duo on the outside.
Then Koonce suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for the season a few days before the season opener. Koonce's free-agent market could be interesting. He's a young player with upside at a premium position. The Raiders should probably do what they can to make sure it doesn't come to that. The contract offer should have some protections based on his health, but the Silver and Black would be wise to extend the pass-rusher before he hits the market.
Koonce's injury should make him cheaper than he otherwise would've been, but that does not guarantee he'll be back. The Raiders' interest in re-upping with the 26-year-old could hinge on what they see in 2023 first-round pick, Tyree Wilson.
Through 11 weeks, Wilson hasn't shown much. He only has two sacks and hasn't taken the step forward Las Vegas was hoping he would.
The Raiders can't depend on Wilson for a prominent role in 2025, barring him taking off down the stretch of the season. Knowing that, bringing Koonce back would make a ton of sense for the Raiders, assuming the price is right.
