Raiders Training Camp Showing Encouraging Signs Of A Player-led Defense

If there’s ever a time for Las Vegas Raiders defenders to play fast and make mistakes, it’s training camp.

Especially with the team no longer participating in what safeties coach Matt Robinson called “the underwear Olympics” phase of camp since the team putting on pads this past Monday and engaging in some “real football”.

“It’s like you want them to feel comfortable but this is the time for mistakes,” Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard said when asked if he’s seen the if you make mistakes, make them while playing fast mantra he’s preached about. “We talk about in the offseason was a lot of what I would call lecture of like these are our techniques and this is exactly what we’re asking for.”

Leonard, in his first season as the defensive boss under head coach Klint Kubiak after earning the promotion from defensive line coach and defensive run game coordinator, is neophyte in his position much like the man helming the Silver & Black ship is. Unlike Kubiak, Leonard doesn’t have a recent Lombardi Trophy on his resume — the Raiders head honcho joined the Raiders shortly after orchestrating the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning 2025 offense — but that doesn’t mean the defensive coordinator hasn’t earned the attention and respect from players under his charge.

Heralded as a player’s coach who excels at creating bonds with locker room vernacular while maintaining a highly technical teaching style, Leonard is right there in the mud with his players during drills and practices all throughout the offseason. And like the head coach who tabbed him as the new defensive coordinator, Leonard is adamant in his philosophy of a player-centric and collaborative environment.

“But now, I’m trying to press a player-led defense,” Leonard said. “I want them to have control and confidence to get in and out of whatever we’re doing out there and make a decision. We’ll talk about as you learn the strengths and weaknesses of the decision you make and why we’re trying to do that. I think the why is a big thing that we’re emphasizing right now.”

Training camp is showcasing encouraging signs that a player-led defense is forming just as Leonard wants. This includes what you’d normally expect from an NFL team, such as: Accountability and veterans paving the way as lead-by-example types. There’s growing communication that’ll be instrumental to the defense’s overall success. The more they continue to do so deep into the regular season, the better. And a growing culture where there’s no ego, teammates are actively helping each other and holding one another accountable for errors.

But it’s the vocal communication and on-field ownership which resulted in an intriguing moment where Leonard himself was told to skedaddle from the huddle.

“Command. Confidence,” Leonard began when asked about what’s stood out regarding prized free agent addition Nakobe Dean, ‘Robbie, get out of my huddle. I got it.’ I want to get up in there and start up, but that’s not reality of how the game’s played. Just leadership. It feels good to have that at the Mike linebacker.”

Once Leonard made that known at the podium during his media availability post training camp practice, it didn’t take long for other Raiders to be asked about Dean telling Leonard get out of here, I got this. Fellow free agent-addition and linebacker Quay Walker and cornerback Eric Stokes — who both went to Georgia alongside Dean — had interesting responses to said query.

Walker was pragmatic about it.

“Not quite, because I don’t think the coaches really got in the huddle,” Walker began,. when asked if he’s seen something like a defensive coordinator getting kicked out of the huddle by a middle linebacker. “We didn’t have the mics in college, so all of us had to look to the sideline and get the call. They were sending them, so it’s kind of different here. He’s probably kicking them out because in the game they’re not going to be able to get in the huddle. So that’s probably the reason why he’s doing that.”

Stokes had a hyped up response.

“Heck yeah, that’s exactly what we want for our middle linebacker, our Mike in the middle,” Stokes said when asked if Dean has always been a take-command type. “Like we want you to take control. We want you to be that. Like man, nah, the coach ain’t gonna be out there on the field with us, so don’t even be out here on the field with us during practice. Like let us run the show.”

A few days later, turns out, his fellow Bulldogs nailed it with their responses.

“When you’re the Mike (linebacker), you want to hear your coordinator talk,” Dean began when describing the mentality and thought process of throwing Leonard out of the huddle. “You want to hear him talk to you. You want to hear how he’s going to call the calls. You want to hear if he is going to just say the call and get off the mic, or is he going to give you checks and everything.

“So, you don’t want him just in the huddle making the call. You want the team to hear you too. I mean, I’m from Mississippi — I don’t have trouble anymore — so I’ve had trouble before with guys not understanding some of the things that I say. So, I want the guys to hear me and hear how I make the play calls and everything too.”

That’s the type of ownership and player-led nature Leonard wants and it’s rooting itself and growing in Las Vegas.

Beyond the standard setter-type veterans like edge rusher Maxx Crosby, Dean, Walker, left tackle Kolton Miller, tight end Brock Bowers, to name a few, newcomer Taron Johnson is showcasing Leonard’s desired confidence and command. Acquired via trade with the Buffalo Bills (Las Vegas received the veteran cornerback and a 2026 seventh-round pick (traded during draft) in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick), Johnson is slated to man the integral nickel cornerback role providing physicality, coverage, and command covering the slot.

“Same thing like with Nakobe; confidence, anticipation, command,” Leonard said about Johnson. “Even if we’re not right, he’s going to make a call and go. Guys listen to him. Physicality, just honestly, he’s like an energy bus guy. I love those guys, Energizer Bunny, he’s one of those.”

The Raiders are prepping for a 2026 campaign with a new coaching staff and renewed vigor. But we’ve seen this song and dance before. The excitement and hope giving way to dejection and misery.

It’s on Leonard and his defense to make the encouraging signs we’ve seen so far in training camp into tangible progress and production Week 1 of the regular season and beyond.