Rookie defensive end makes impressive late-season debut

Rookie defensive end Malcolm Koonce donned a University of Buffalo hoodie Tuesday after Raiders practice. It was a not so subtle nod to his alma mater, from which he emerged as the first bonafide NFL pass-rush prospect since Khalil Mack.

“From college, I never had a routine,” Koonce conceded of his haphazard approach to training. That despite recording 13 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss over his final 17 college games.

Imagine if he did.

Koonce has shined the last two games in spite of the Raiders’ struggles, recording a sack in successive weeks while playing for the first time in his NFL career. The rookie from the Mid-American Conference remained patient throughout his transition from mid-major college football to the NFL and is reaping the rewards with production and playing time as the season nears its end.

He debuted Dec. 4 against the Washington Football Team, sacking quarterback Taylor Heinicke on one of his seven defensive snaps. He played 15 snaps Sunday in a 48-9 loss to the rival Chiefs, sacking superstar signal-caller Patrick Mahomes and flashing the kind of improvement his teammates have noticed throughout the course of yet another arduous season.

“It’s great when you see a young guy go out there and make his snaps count,” said veteran defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson. “He’s still got that college weight. So when he gets in the real weight room and gets some real grown man strength on him, he’s going to be a problem in this league for a long time.”

Koonce credited his improvement to his newfound routine: in the weight room, on the practice field and with film study. His raw ability helped him become the No. 79 pick during the 2021 NFL draft. But it required refining.

Especially to earn playing time on a deeper defensive line that welcomed veteran free agents like Yannick Ngakoue, Solomon Thomas and Jefferson.

So Koonce waited his turn and toiled away in practice, absorbing the teachings from the veterans while adjusting to the pace of professional play. He was inactive every week until the Week 13 tilt against Washington — save for Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A game in which he did not play.

“I did understand that I needed to mature. I needed to stay the course,” Koonce said. “There’s most definitely things I needed to learn.”

Koonce said the veteran defensive lineman belabored the importance of a routine, so he developed one that “gave me tunnel vision of things I needed to work on and things I need to do, week by week.

“I make sure I lift early in the week, so I can focus on football toward the tail end of the week,” he added. “Watching film. Making sure I give myself a certain about of time every day to sit down and watch film and watch practice. Watch the team we’re going up against.”

Even when he wasn’t playing.

The meticulous approach ensured he would be ready when he did play. Injuries on the defensive front finally paved the way for playing time for the 23-year-old from Peekskill, New York.

“He’s got a lot of tools,” said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby “It’s just putting it all together. That’s kind of what you see from guys from small schools.”

He should know. Like Koonce, Crosby played at a Mid-American Conference school, Eastern Michigan.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.