The Raiders head into 2026 with a defense that still feels unfinished, and the biggest question hanging over the unit starts with Maxx Crosby.
Crosby is still in Las Vegas, but that situation already carries some tension. The Raiders were willing to move him once before, when the Baltimore Ravens backed out of a trade, and it leaves the door open to more speculation down the line.
If the offseason upgrades don’t produce real results, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the front office revisit that kind of move at the trade deadline. And if another contender came with a package similar to what Baltimore offered, the idea of dealing their defensive star would not be off the table.
With Aaron Donald coming out of retirement for the Los Angeles Rams, there’s also more pressure on contenders to bolster the defensive line, which could make the deadline even busier around Crosby.
There’s also a new face in charge, even if the name is familiar. Rob Leonard is stepping in as defensive coordinator after serving as the team’s defensive line coach since 2023, and this is his first shot in that role.
He’s been around through three head coaching changes, so this promotion is a sign the organization is rewarding internal growth. But it’s still fair to ask what the defense will look like once the season starts, because Leonard has never overseen the whole unit before.
He does at least have some pieces to work with. The linebacker group is improved, and Leonard’s background on the defensive line should give him a natural feel for how to build up front. Even so, the Raiders still face a blunt reality: outside of Crosby, where is the consistent production going to come from?
That’s the challenge Leonard inherits. The Raiders have plenty of defensive questions, and he’ll need to squeeze as much as he can out of the roster if this group is going to become respectable again.
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