Maxx Crosby, a prominent player for the Las Vegas Raiders, had positive things to say about Malcolm Koonce, his pass rush partner.
Malcolm Koonce, a defensive end in his third season with the Las Vegas Raiders, has shown great growth and progress each week in 2023.
After selecting Koonce out of Buffalo in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Raiders had big expectations for him, and this season he has begun to live up to them.
Malcolm Koonce in action
A career-high 32 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and four sacks have been recorded by Koonce in 2023. Against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, he had an outstanding effort that included two sacks and two forced fumbles.
Maxx Crosby awards Malcolm Koonce as “Dawg Of The Day”
Koonce was named “Dawg of the Day” for his performance by Raiders great defensive end Maxx Crosby, who bestowed the honor on a player who put out a strong and unwavering performance on his podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby.
Crosby said,
“When he came in, he was super talented,” . “You could see his athleticism, his bend, everything like that, and you just see the evolution of his game and the confidence he’s starting to gain on a weekly basis. It’s no surprise that he’s taken the steps he’s taken because he puts in the work. For a guy like that, it just gets me fired up because the more guys you can have around you like that that are hungry as f— and want to be great and want to take that next step as a player, the better your team is going to be.”
Crosby also discussed the significance of Koonce’s ongoing development for their group.
“I’m proud of Malcolm, bro,” he said. “He’s a stud. He’s only going to get better. This is just the beginning for him. Ever since he got in the league, he was fighting for that playing time, but when he was playing, he would always produce. Now, you just see him get more and more reps, and he’s making more and more plays. I’m not surprised at all, but I expect him to continue his evolution as a player as the years go by and the days go by because he’s going to be a big part of what we have going on moving forward.”
The Raiders now have another dependable pass rusher that can relieve Crosby of some of the load thanks to Koonce’s growth. The Raiders will have numerous edge rushers and offensive linemen to watch as he and Tyree Wilson grow.
You can listen to the whole podcast episode here.
