The Las Vegas Raiders were late to filling out their coaching staff in the offseason, as they had to wait until after the Super Bowl to hire Klint Kubiak as head coach. By this time, many of the top defensive coordinator candidates were off the market.
Kubiak worked with Mike Macdonald in Seattle and is a big fan of how he runs a defense. With options limited, Kubiak turned to Raiders’ defensive line coach Rob Leonard to run the defense.
He had previously worked with Macdonald on the Baltimore Ravens. So far, the early returns haven’t been good. The Raiders are allowing 28.1 points per game, which is fourth-worst in the NFL. They are also allowing 373.7 yards per game, which is third-worst in the league.
The Raiders don’t have an ultra-talented defensive roster, but they did spend a lot of money on the defense in free agency. There’s enough talent for Las Vegas to at least have an average defense.
If Leonard can’t turn things around, his seat is going to keep getting warmer. It’s unlikely he’ll get fired during the season, but after the year, the Raiders should have plenty of options to potentially replace him, including a recently fired name.
Could Raiders Target Ejiro Evero?
During the hiring process, Kubiak wasn’t the only finalist for the head coaching job. Former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was also in the mix.
The Raiders made the right call with Kubiak, as it makes more sense to hire an offensive head coach with a young quarterback coming in. However, it’s clear that they were high on Evero.
After a 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, the Panthers decided to fire Evero, who had been with the franchise for four seasons. They are giving up 27.6 points per game this season, so it’s not a surprise they wanted a change.
That doesn’t mean Evero can’t coach. He’s led some strong defenses in the past. The Panthers aren’t exactly the Philadelphia Eagles when it comes to defensive talent. Considering that general manager John Spytek is a fan of Evero, he could make sense as the replacement for Leonard if the Raiders go in a different direction.
It’s worth noting that Evero and Kubiak worked together on the Denver Broncos in 2022.
Leonard Can Still Turn Things Around
It doesn’t help Leonard that the Raiders have played four of the NFL’s best teams in the last four weeks. When the competition was weaker, the defense looked a lot better.
The Raiders play a bad New York Jets offense in Week 8. If Leonard’s defense can’t keep them under 20 points, it’s not a great sign. This is his first year calling defensive plays, so he does deserve some grace. The Raiders’ defense hasn’t been consistently good for a long time.
At the same time, they may want somebody with more experience heading into next season. Leonard needs to turn things around. Even if the Raiders can finish the season with a top-20 scoring defense, that could be enough for Leonard to get another chance next season.
Potential Rob Leonard Replacement Emerges if Raiders Defense Keeps Struggling