Nobody talks about base defense anymore. This is the dirty little secret of modern NFL football - most teams spend most of their snaps in nickel or dime packages and the "base" defense is more of a philosophical starting point than an actual game plan.
So when Clint Kubiak stood on a stage in Indianapolis during the NFL Combine and announced the Raiders were shifting to a 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, some people shrugged their shoulders.
They shouldn't.
This is not a minor change. This is a complete identity improvement for a defense that was one of the worst teams in the league a year ago. And while the base package won't dominate the snap count on Sunday, the 3-4 framework shapes every personnel decision Las Vegas makes between now and kickoff — in free agency, in the draft and in the film room. If you want to understand where this team is going defensively, that's where you have to start.
What is Rob Leonard really building? with las vegas raiders
Leonard is taking over as an NFL defensive coordinator for the first time, which is either a red flag or a sign of how much Jon Spytek and Kubiak trust him. Spytek worked hard to get Leonard the job after sitting in on interviews last year when Pete Carroll was also evaluating him for the DC role. Kubiak met him, was quickly sold and handed the keys.
Leonard's background tells you the type of defense Las Vegas is trying to build. He learned under Brian Flores in Miami and Mike McDonald in Baltimore. Don't expect a steady, vanilla 3-4. Expect multiple fronts, heavy doses of the 3-3-5 on third downs, constant stunts and rotations, and linebackers with real responsibilities before and after the snap. Macdonald's fingerprints are all over this thing.
Kubiak called it "the starting point". How far this defense goes depends entirely on the players Leonard has to work with.
What this means for the Raiders roster
The Raiders spent four years under Patrick Graham's 4-3 defense. Before that, Carroll's score was 4-2-5. The roster was built around those plans – or mostly ignored them. Creates 3-4 immediate, specific needs.
You need a true nose tackle. A space-eating, double-team-absorbing anchor in the middle of the line. The attackers don't have any. This need is reflected in free agency and the draft alike.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fdg-lJDooE[/embed]You need linebackers who can do more than just play downhill. In the 3-4, the outside linebackers are hybrid pass rushers who drive against the run and occasionally drop into coverage. It's a different beast than the traditional 4-3 end. Leonard's scheme will rotate bodies heavily and demand athleticism at every level. Right now, this roster is thin at both spots.
Max Crosby Fits: Full Stop
Crosby is a raider. The Baltimore trade is gone. And the 3-4 transition directly impacts what he's already doing well.
Crosby has always been a stand-up edge player by nature. Operating as a 3-4 outside linebacker gives him more freedom in his pass-rush setup and the ability to crash inside or go wide depending on what he sees in the snap. This scheme doesn't just accommodate Crosby — it could unlock a version of him we haven't seen in a few years.
Tyree Wilson even has a genuine attempt to figure it out. He has been misunderstood as a traditional defensive end ever since Las Vegas drafted him in the first round. Going in with the 4i-tech plays on his length and strength rather than asking him to win with the athleticism and bends he doesn't have. Wilson's 2026 will define whether he has a future with this franchise or not. A change of plan gives him his best shot.
bottom line
Scheme changes alone can't fix a 14-game losing defense. But overhauling his defensive identity with a coordinator trained by the best minds in the business and a head coach willing to give him real authority is at least a coherent plan.
3-4 There is no magic pill. This is a framework. What Leonard and Spytek build inside between now and the draft in Pittsburgh will tell us whether this defense can be competitive in 2026 or whether it's just another long year for Raider Nation.
