Despite drafting a defensive lineman earlier today, the Las Vegas Raiders continued to build up the depth in the trenches.
With the 180th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues.
With South Carolina’s Tonka Hemingway already part of the draft haul, the Raiders had their pass-rushing interior defender locked down. However, with John Jenkins still a free agent, the nose tackle and primary run-stuffer roles still need to be filled. There is an opportunity for Pegues to claim that spot for them, but that is far from the only part of his game.
What Pegues brings to the Raiders
Travis Hunter, he is certainly not, but Pegues could see some time on both sides of the ball for the Raiders.
While Pegues has primarily served as an edge rusher for Ole Miss, he projects better as a defensive tackle in the NFL. Although he will need to be coached up to work on the interior more consistently, he does well to close off gaps and keep opposing offensive linemen at bay. Even more interesting is that, Pegues has shown well as a fullback in college, indicating that he can serve as an extra blocker or even a short-yardage hammer in certain offensive sets.
Pegues is going to be a testament to the creativity of head coach Pete Carroll and his staff, with the possibilities on his usage being truly endless.
Defensive line reinforcements coming to Raiders with fourth-round pick
