Silver And Black Pride
More snaps equals more production tends to the tale of the NFL tape.
Such was the case for Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. Logging 764 snaps over the course of 17 games (15 starts) in 2025, the Sin City-native had a productive Year 2 totaling 51 tackles (eight behind the line of scrimmage), four sacks, and five pass deflections — all career highs. As a rookie in 2024, Laulu notched 475 snaps and in 17 games (seven starts) tallied 35 total tackles (three stops for loss) alongside a sack and a trio of pass deflections.
Not bad for a scrapheap-type flier waiver claim by the Silver & Black a day after after Laulu was waived as a 2024 NFL Draft seventh-round pick (234th overall) by the Indianapolis Colts on August 27, 2024.
By The Numbers
Jonah Laulu, Defensive Tackle, 3rd Year
Continuing that upward trend is vital for both Laulu and the Raiders defense. The 26-year-old is not only an ascending young player but at 6-foot-5 and 289 pounds, the Oklahoma product has the size and versatility to line up at defensive end in Las Vegas base 3-4 alignment and shifting back inside to tackle when defensive coordinator Rob Leonard deploys even-man fronts.
While he brings plenty of height, Laulu’s listed weight is lighter in comparison to other Raiders interior defensive linemen. At 289 pounds, the only other counterpart lighter is Tonka Hemingway (6-foot-2 and 284 pounds). Why is this distinction important?
While athletic and bringing suddenness off the snap, Laulu has struggled taking on heavy double teams — which are frequent on the interior. Fortunately for Laulu, Las Vegas’ transition to a 3-4 base defensive front will help insulate him from this exact thing.
A well-executed odd front naturally limits offensive lines from executing combination blocks as it’s unclear to the offense what defenders are doing exactly. The 3-4 front helps create confusion as a combination of defenders can be sent on blitzes to get after the quarterback or stuff running lanes while others may feign rush only to drop back in coverage.
Laulu’s quickness off the snap looms large as a positive as lining up as a defensive end in 3-4 looks provides him the opportunity to take on tackles and use his ample length and explosion to make an impact as both rusher and run stopper.
“It’s an effort-based front,” Raiders defensive line boss Travis Smith noted. “Whether we’re rushing four, we’re rushing five, we’re rushing three — it doesn’t matter. The intensity and disposition that we play with is non-negotiable.”
Count Laulu as an effort-based paragon in Silver & Black.
Arriving with a chip on his shoulder getting waived after about four months of time with the Colts, Laulu showcased an...
