Rob Leonard’s vision for Las Vegas Raiders’ defense

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 01: Defensive Line coach Rob Leonard of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts to a play during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 01, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Las Vegas Raiders underwent plenty of changes this offseason, especially on the coaching staff. There are several new faces in the Intermountain Health Performance Center in Henderson, Nevada, including head coach Klint Kubiak. But there are also a few familiar faces in the building, just in different roles than they were a year ago. The most significant example of that is recently promoted defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.

After spending one year as a high school coach, three years coaching at his alma mater (NC State), and then 13 years cutting his teeth as a defensive assistant coach in the NFL, the 38-year-old Leonard finally gets to run an entire defense and shape the unit in his vision. What does that look like, and how does he put his thumbprint on the defense?

Style of play, man," the long-time defensive line coach replied during OTAs on June 3. I'm going to coach the defense like I coach the D-line. I still do the same things I do. Not going one-for-one, attacking the ball, effort in pursuit. We start there, but that's always got to stick out, and a product on the field that you know what it looks like.

Klint always talks about our silent tape. I always feel like if my wife can point it out, like, Hey, that's a good job,' everybody knows what it should look like. But today, the theme was clean operation, great substitution, great communication, aligned with the speed brakes, like all those little things outside of the scheme are how things come to life, and that's been fun to see."

Building on that, Leonard wants 11 defenders on the field who will be aggressive and operate with urgency. That can be difficult at this stage since players are learning a new system, even the ones who return from last season, since they're playing for a new and first-time coordinator. Still, Leonard would rather see his guys playing fast and is willing to live with assignment mistakes during OTAs.

Yeah, I'm a little crazy," he explained. I would like them to play fast, even at the cost of a mental error. I don't like to see hesitation on the field, so even if you're unsure, make a decision and go, and let us coach. Let us do our job, but I don't want any slow blinkers out there.

So, still going into how we play box, how we attack the ball, how we run to the ball. Can't take it away if you don't run to the ball, and just staying with that mindset and instilling confidence in them that they can play that way, that they have the freedom from me. Like, I don't care about a bust over that. It's not the difference of winning and losing to me."

Schematically, one of the biggest news stories surrounding the Silver and Black's defense this offseason was when Kubiak mentioned that he'd like to run a 3-4 base defense. However, since those comments, Kubiak has also mentioned being multiple up front, and the front office didn't prioritize the all-important nose tackle position for the 3-4 system during free agency nor the draft.

That's opened up questions about what type of defense (3-4 or 4-3) the Raiders will run in 2026 and beyond. But the defensive coordinator doesn't seem to be too concerned about where his front seven will line up, and is more focused on having several defensive linemen and linebackers who can contribute on the field.

Up front, it's always important to be deep and be able to rotate. It just is," Leonard replied when asked about his depth and scheme. It's (the difference between the two schemes) not a crazy, drastic - for the front guys. They're like, Hey, I'm an outside shade, an inside shade or head up? I'm a three, a two or a shade?' I don't think for how we teach D-line that it's something drastically different.

What's my technique? Who am I striking? And then, in terms of 3-4 or 4-3, that's just in my mind the edge
guys. Who's dropping? Who's rushing?' Which is a little bit different, but I don't think the change is as drastic
as it may sound, if that makes sense."

On top of the coach's comments, with how much teams use nickel personnel (five defensive backs and six linebackers/defensive linemen) in today's pass-happy NFL, the lines between even and odd front teams have become blurred in recent years. Unless the DB that is coming into the game can fit the run like a linebacker, they're typically replacing a defensive lineman. Oftentimes, it's the nose tackle who heads to the sidelines. With only six front seven" players on the field, defenses become vulnerable on the second level in an odd front.

The bigger question for Leonard's unit is about what his plays are for the backend. He's been a defensive line or outside linebackers coach for the overwhelming majority of his career, and has never been in charge of a secondary. Luckily, the coordinator has a few in-house resources that he's been leaning on for that.

A lot of fun, a lot of work, a lot of hours spent, and a lot of communication," Leonard replied when asked about building his coverage scheme. (Defensive pass game coordinator/DBs coach) Joe Woods, (safeties coach) Matt Robinson and (senior defensive assistant) Al Holcomb have been extremely helpful.

I've challenged the staff as much as anybody. Like, we got to be ahead of how we're going to be attacked and what our answers will be, as well as this is the teaching process, these are our rules. Okay, well, how would you attack us? Like, if we were the offense, what would you do?

Having those conversations before they actually happen. And it is my job to set the concepts of this is what we're going to be, these are the coverages we're going to play, so on and so forth. But going through the minute details, we've done that together."

As the coach mentioned at the end of the quote above, he's the defensive boss and ultimately has to decide what types of coverage he wants to run. With so many influences-factoring in 17 years of coaching experience and working with mentors like Steve Spagnuolo, Patrick Graham and Mike Macdonald, on top of the current staff in Las Vegas-how does Leaonrd balance all of that and decide what his defense/coverage should look like?

You rely on conceptually the concepts that have started to build here, things you like, things that you trust, things that you know very well," he explained. Then you understand why you would call that, you understand the weaknesses of how that would be attacked, and you have the confidence to install it to all 11 guys.

So, you know all the stops I've been at and picking and choosing and making sure it fits all together, especially from a terminology standpoint. And the coaches are the first litmus test for that. Like, if they can get it, we can coach it. It's one thing to understand it in the meeting, but can we actually coach this and get it executed?"

Obviously, the coach isn't divulging many specifics about his coverage scheme ahead of the season opener on Sept. 13. That's intentional, as it isn't what the coach's primary concern is at this stage.

I'm so focused on - I want to know what they know. I want to hear them talk. I want to hear their
communication," Leonard said. I want a player-led defense and them to understand conceptually. Right now, that's really what the big word is. The concept of Cover 2, for example, not a call. And that's how you're able to be multiple. That's how they're able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of a call, and that's really been our focus.

In a 17-game season, when you have to evolve to injury or what type of quarterback you're playing, you're able to do so. You're teaching them the game, and we started in Phase 1 with this is how we get in a huddle. So, assuming nothing, and I enjoy that. I'm a teacher at heart, and all the guys that I've hired are great teachers...They've done a phenomenal job, and I told them I want the players to feel that energy when they walk into the meeting room. Get to the point, get them to the walkthrough, get to practice."

To Leonard's point, any mistakes that players make on the field in June are inconsequential for the team's overall goal. The defense doesn't have to be perfect now, so play fast and it's the coaching staff's job to fix any lapses that happened, as the defensive coordinator said above. Then, the real tests come in the fall, when Malik Willis and the Miami Dolphins will be the first exam for Leonard and Co.