Leonard's Player-Led Defense Is a Philosophy. The Roster Still Has to Catch Up.

Rob Leonard's message out of camp is clear enough: he wants defenders who own their assignments, make adjustments without being told, and play fast because they trust themselves. That's a real coaching philosophy, and the early camp reports suggest it's taking hold. The problem is that the two players best positioned to model that kind of veteran ownership — Devin White, who led this defense with 174 tackles last season, and pass rusher Chris Collier — are both gone, one to Detroit and one to Injured Reserve.

I've written twice this week about the depth hole Leonard is working around, and nothing has changed the basic math. Jermod McCoy remains Questionable after missing all of 2025 with a knee injury. The edge depth chart runs through Brennan Jackson and an undrafted rookie in Cian Slone. Cameron McGrone leads the linebacker group on paper. These are young players being asked to internalize a system that requires exactly the kind of in-game decision-making that usually comes from experience.

To be fair, Leonard's approach may be the right one precisely because he doesn't have veterans to lean on. If the bodies aren't there, you build the culture instead and hope the young players grow into it faster than expected. Xavian Sorey and Slone competing for snaps at least suggests the front office is feeding the competition. Whether any of them are ready to make calls on the fly in a real game is a different question entirely — one that won't be answered in camp.