Rob Leonard has wasted no time putting his stamp on the Raiders’ defense.
Two games into the 2026 NFL season, Las Vegas looks like a different unit under its new defensive coordinator, and the early results have been loud: just 13.5 points allowed per game, a pass rush that keeps showing up, and a secondary that is playing with more speed and more purpose. For a defense that spent four years under Patrick Graham, the shift has been immediate.
Graham was hardly a failure, but the Raiders and their former coordinator both needed a reset. Leonard, the respected defensive line coach who learned under some strong defensive minds, stepped into the job ready for a promotion. Klint Kubiak has to like what he’s seen so far.
What Leonard has brought is not just a new base look. Yes, the Raiders have moved into a 3-4 under him after working from a 4-2-5 or 4-3 under Graham, but the real change is the variety. Leonard is mixing coverages, disguising intentions and forcing offenses to guess.
Against the Miami Dolphins in Week 1, Leonard had Malik Willis in a blender with his exotic coverages. Justin Herbert ran into the same kind of problems in Week 2, finishing with two interceptions and a 55.6% completion rate.
Last season, the Raiders leaned heavily on basic Cover 3. That is not the story anymore.
Through two weeks, Las Vegas has mostly sat in Cover 3, but it has also shown Cover 1, Cover 2 and Cover 4 zone, plus Cover 0, 1 and 2 man. That kind of mix has made it hard for offenses to get comfortable. They do not know what they are going to see after the snap.
The ripple effect has been obvious. The disguised looks are helping the secondary create takeaways, and they are also making life easier for the front. With coverage holding up, the rush has more time to get home, and quarterbacks have taken a beating.
Leonard has also found ways to maximize the pieces up front even without Maxx Crosby on the field for every snap. Players like Kwity Paye, Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean are giving offensive coordinators problems because of how much they can do. On any given play, they may rush, drop, line up on the edge or move around in ways that force hesitation.
That flexibility has changed how the Raiders deploy their linebackers, too. Instead of simply asking two inside linebackers to stop the run or survive in coverage, Leonard is using Dean and Walker as weapons. They blitz, they cover, they align on the edge, they set picks, and they do a little bit of everything.
The scheme is also helping the defensive line get cleaner chances to attack the quarterback. Leonard has been able to use rubs and stunts more often than the Raiders did in previous years, and he has created more one-on-one opportunities for Crosby. That is usually a winning formula in Las Vegas.
The production backs it all up. The Raiders are allowing 9th-fewest yards per game, 5th-fewest points per game, tied for 2nd in takeaways, 2nd in interceptions, tied for 1st in sacks and 2nd in completion percentage allowed. They also had the most sacks in the league through two games and the second-highest pressure rate, even with the 8th-lowest blitz rate.
That is a major leap from 2025. Last year, the Raiders ranked 14th in yards allowed, 25th in points allowed, tied for 25th in takeaways, tied for 23rd in interceptions, tied for 18th in sacks and tied for 29th in completion percentage allowed. And even that sack total was helped by an eight-sack finish against the Kansas City Chiefs’ third-stringers in the season finale.
Graham’s defense was built to limit explosive plays, but it did not create much chaos. It could keep the lid on, but it did not consistently force turnovers or generate pressure. Drives dragged on, the unit bent without really breaking, and the points still piled up.
Leonard’s group looks different. It is aggressive without being reckless, creative without being chaotic, and disruptive in a way the Raiders have not consistently been in years. Their EPA per play is -0.275, the best mark in the NFL, and they rank fourth against the pass and first against the run.
Through two games, the Raiders’ defense is not just surviving. It is dictating. And Leonard has already made it clear that this is his unit now.
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