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New Las Vegas Raiders DE Kwity Paye.
The Las Vegas Raiders‘ decision to trade defensive end Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens has left a glaring need on the defensive line. The team isn’t going to find a perfect replacement in free agency, as Crosby is one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
However, the Raiders needed some type of veteran to replace him, and they found one. NFL insider Jordan Schutlz reports that Las Vegas has signed former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye to a three-year contract.
The deal is worth $48 million, with $32 million guaranteed. Paye brings a lot of experience to the Raiders. He has started in 74 games over five years with the Colts after being a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Paye has never put up huge numbers, but he does have 30.5 sacks over his career. He’s a dependable veteran who doesn’t miss a lot of games. $16 million a year isn’t too steep a price to pay for a veteran defensive end, especially since the Raiders have such a big need at the position.
Paye should be a starter next season, but the Raiders still need to add a few more defensive linemen. He’s a good start, but the team is very thin at the position.
Paye Was The Athletic’s 103-Ranked Free Agent
Paye wasn’t a hot name coming into free agency. He’s a known commodity due to the fact that he’s a former first-round pick, but he only had 4.0 sacks last season.
Daniel Popper of The Athletic wasn’t very high on Paye heading into free agency. He had him ranked as the 103rd-best free agent this offseason.
“A 2021 first-round pick, Paye is a physical run defender and edge setter who lacks juice as a pass rusher,” Popper wrote. “He is more of a pocket pusher. He does not have diversity in his moves and goes most often to a bull rush. Paye does not have the power as a pass rusher to win often in this way. In 2025, he ranked 54th in pass-rush efficiency among 64 edge rushers with at least 300 pass-rush snaps.”
Will Raiders Bring Back Malcolm Koonce?
Now that the Raiders have added a veteran defensive end, they could look to bring back a player. Malcolm Koonce had a disappointing 2025 season coming off an injury.
With the Raiders switching to a 3-4 base defense, Koonce might actually be a better fit as an outside linebacker in that scheme. New defensive coordinator Rob Leonard has worked closely with Koonce the last few years as the Raiders’ defensive line coach.
If he thinks he’s still a fit, he’s likely vocalized that to the front office. However, there doesn’t seem to be too much interest in Koonce around the NFL right now, so the Raiders could be patient. They could also let him walk and look to address the position in the draft.
With Crosby gone, the Raiders’ pass rush could be shaky in 2026, so it’s not a terrible idea to give some younger players a chance to show what they can do.
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at “The Shop.” More about Austin Boyd
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