Patrick Graham didn’t just leave Las Vegas - he got a reset, and the early returns say the move may be helping everybody involved.
Graham survived a lot during his Raiders run. He served as defensive coordinator under three head coaches in four seasons and still managed to squeeze respectable production out of that unit more often than not.
But the fit never looked clean, especially once Pete Carroll stayed with him heading into last season. Carroll’s defensive philosophy was a far cry from Graham’s, and it quickly became obvious the Raiders were running Carroll’s vision whether the roster suited it or not.
That disconnect showed up in the confusion around who was actually steering the defense. There were signs players weren’t always sure whether Carroll or Graham was calling the shots, just another piece of the mess that defined 2025.
By the end, Graham’s silence said plenty about where things stood. Then the Raiders made the clean break that had been coming, and Graham landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as defensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy.
For Las Vegas, the answer was a new voice of its own. Rob Leonard moved up from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator, and the first week of the new setup looked promising.
Against the Miami Dolphins, the Raiders were aggressive, inventive and a lot more entertaining to watch. That kind of change was overdue.
But the interesting part is that the separation seems to be working for Graham, too.
ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 2 singled out one non-quarterback newcomer from each team based on Week 1, and for Pittsburgh that player was Graham. The writeup made the case clearly: “Even with Falcons do-everything back Bijan Robinson racking up 173 scrimmage yards, it's hard to point to anyone other than Graham.
The Steelers' pass rush dominated third-string quarterback Cooper Rush, and the buy-in from the Steelers' veterans was evident. T.J.
Watt, who admitted he was stubborn about the idea of moving around in the old scheme, did just that Sunday. Not only did Watt have a pick-six, but he also recorded a sack from each side of the D-line.
Graham passed his first test with flying colors.”
That came with a caveat, of course. Cooper Rush was a third-string quarterback and may not have been at full strength.
Still, the Steelers had to go out and execute, and they did. Graham also appears to have already won over T.J.
Watt on the idea of moving around the formation, which matters.
And while Bijan Robinson still did Bijan Robinson things - 173 of Atlanta’s 238 total yards - the Steelers handled the rest. Even without Joey Porter Jr., they shut everybody else down.
Back in Las Vegas, Leonard’s promotion gives the Raiders something they didn’t have before: a first-time defensive coordinator with room to grow, adapt and shape the unit in his own image. Graham, by contrast, is a more established coach with a more fixed system. That makes the Raiders’ change feel necessary, not just cosmetic.
A look at the Week 1 film backs that up. The Raiders were doing some of the same things the league’s sharpest defenses do, and they were doing it with detail and commitment from the players. On one play breakdown, the design and execution came together cleanly: three defensive linemen away from Crosby influenced the center to open left, Dean held on the line to keep the right guard inside for Crosby in one-on-one, Walker came on a creeper blitz while Dean dropped, the nose slanted to the strong A-gap to keep the right guard inside, the running back picked up Walker but Walker picked the guard, and Paye looped in for the sack with Crosby.
So yes, Raiders fans can pull for Graham from a distance, at least until Pittsburgh gets in the way. But Las Vegas needed Leonard.
Graham needed something new, too. And one week into both changes, that reset looks good for everyone.
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