New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has found his defensive coordinator.
The Raiders are expected to promote defensive line coach and run game coordinator Rob Leonard to defensive coordinator, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo reported on Saturday, per sources.
Joe Woods is also expected to remain with the club as their defensive pass game coordinator, Rapoport added.
Leonard, 38, has spent a total of three seasons in Las Vegas. Before his role as the run game coordinator, Leonard served as the defensive line coach in 2023-24 working with Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
Crosby, who's future remains uncertain with a new regime, has a familiar voice in Leonard being promoted to defensive coordinator. The Raiders pass rusher said recently that he didn't want to "throw gasoline on the fire" with trade rumors about his future in Las Vegas.
Leonard takes on his first defensive coordinator job in the NFL. In 2013, he got his first coaching gig with the New York Giants as a defensive assistant coach. After the 2018 season, Leonard went down to Miami and had multiple roles with the Dolphins from 2019 to 2021. He spent one season with John Harbaugh in Baltimore as an outside linebackers coach in 2022.
The Raiders moved on from defensive coordinator Patrick Graham after a 3-14 record in 2025. Graham joined Mike McCarthy's staff in Pittsburgh as the Steelers defensive coordinator.
Now, Leonard gets an opportunity to work with a defense that struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks. Las Vegas ranked 25th in points per game (25.4) and 24th in sacks. It will be a turnaround for Leonard but free agency and April's draft provides an opportunity to strengthen his defensive unit.
The Raiders own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Many expect Las Vegas to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza but in Kubiak's opening press conference, he said that there's still film to review before a final decision is made.
Nonetheless, Kubiak and the Raiders will begin that process over the next couple of weeks. For now, though, Las Vegas has found its defensive coordinator in Leonard.
