Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Malcolm Koonce has been ruled out of the Raiders’ season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday after suffering a knee injury in practice, the team announced Thursday.
Coach Antonio Pierce did not share any details about how the injury occurred or its severity, but a league source said it is not believed to be serious and Las Vegas is being extra cautious because of the soft turf at Sofi Stadium, where the game will be played Sunday.
Koonce had a breakthrough year in his third season with the Raiders, with eight sacks and three forced fumbles.
Who will replace Koonce?
The first man up is 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson, who struggled last season and is still a work in progress, based on his performances this preseason.
While Wilson had 3.5 sacks as a rookie, he needs to get off the ball quicker. The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder has the size and quickness you want in a pass rusher, just not the fit, and Wilson started playing more inside at defensive tackle last season.
“His first year, sometimes you come in like a house fire, but sometimes it develops,” Raiders senior assistant Rob Ryan said last month. “Most of the time, a young man needs some time. And I think we’re going to see a lot of growth this year with him. He’s a great kid. He works hard. He loves football. So, we got the right guy.”
The sleeper pick here to make an impact is Janarius Robinson, a fourth-year player who was a fourth-round pick in 2021 by the Minnesota Vikings. The 6-foot-5, 263-pound Robinson had a sack in six games for Las Vegas last season and made a few plays in the preseason.
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