Rob Leonard’s first preseason run with the Raiders started with a mess, but it didn’t stay that way for long.
After Las Vegas looked lost defensively in the opener against the Arizona Cardinals, plenty of fans came down hard on the new defensive coordinator. The criticism was loud, and it only got louder when reports out of joint practice with the Houston Texans suggested the same problems were still showing up a week later.
But Leonard’s group answered in a big way.
Against the Texans in the Raiders’ second preseason game, the defense made clear progress in two spots that matter most: stopping the run and getting after the quarterback. That improvement helped everything behind it, too, with the back end looking far more stable once the pressure started arriving.
The depth up front stood out. Las Vegas doesn’t have a front that’s loaded with obvious stars, but Leonard showed he has enough versatility to work with and enough creativity to manufacture pressure.
That meant more pressure simulations, more movement, and more chances to free players up. In Houston, it paid off.
The Raiders harassed the quarterbacks, forced two fumbles, smothered the run, and kept the Texans from hitting many big plays through the air.
The next week against the San Francisco 49ers, the raw numbers were a little less shiny, especially in the run game and pass rush. Still, the defense found a way to matter when it counted.
Las Vegas allowed only 18 points, all on six field goals, and kept San Francisco out of the end zone on all three red zone trips. That kind of bend-but-don’t-break work is exactly what changed the conversation around Leonard’s unit.
Now the mood has flipped. After the early rough patches, Raider Nation is looking at this defense and expecting it to pull its weight alongside an offense that will try to lean on the run and drain the clock.
That’s a lot to ask from a first-year coordinator with a roster still coming together, but Leonard has given fans a reason to believe. The pressure is real now, and in this case, it’s a sign that the ceiling is visible.
And this is the part that should really get Raiders fans thinking: Maxx Crosby hasn’t even played a down yet. Leonard also still has more tools to work with.
This defense probably won’t be among the NFL’s elite in 2026. But after the way it answered back over the last two preseason games, it’s fair to expect more fight, more disruptive moments, and a unit that looks a lot less like the one that stumbled out of the gate.
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