Coming into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders needed both a defensive tackle and a defensive end through the draft. They got a guy who can be both, that is, if he develops well like he has the potential to.
Now, this is the fourth round of the draft, so nothing is guaranteed with these players. But the Raiders didn’t have EDGE or DT high up their list of needs. So, it was Day 2 or Day 3 when it came to picking up one of those positions in the draft. The Raiders needed depth at the DT spot, and for the DE spot, they needed a backup plan and depth.
The Raiders signed DE Malcolm Koonce to a one-year deal, as he’s coming off a torn ACL. If he doesn’t come back how he was, or just can’t get back to that point, the Raiders likely won’t re-sign him. And, if he is back, and even better than before, he could get a better offer from another team.
Then, next season in 2026, Tyree Wilson is looking for a contract. He was the No. 7 pick from two regimes ago, so there’s a chance they don’t bring him back, considering he hasn’t exactly lived up to the expectations. So, they need a backup plan there, as well as depth for this year. They may have gotten a guy who can develop into that on the edge, or maybe even at DT.
Raiders’ new DT Tonka Hemingway is a tweener
At 6’3″, 288 pounds, with a frame that looks leaner than 288, Hemingway is a powerful defensive lineman who has the size to be either a defensive tackle or a defensive end, depending on where the Raiders want to play and develop him. He is a great pass rusher, but needs to develop his technique at both spots.
Hemingway had a pass rush win rate over 10% last year, according to Pro Football Focus, which is above average for what he was asked to do. Hemingway has accumulated 11 total sacks in 797 pass rush snaps over three years, which isn’t great, but it’s certainly not bad. His run defense definitely needs some work, but the traits are there.
As for being a tweener, he played 400 snaps last year over the B Gap, with 56 snaps coming over the tackle, and 31 snaps over the A Gap. He can be moved around, for sure, and he’s comfortable playing that way. In 2022, he played 117 snaps outside the tackle.