Silver And Black Pride
Malcolm Koonce’s return, drafting Tank Hemmingway makes roster climb steeper in Las Vegas
As an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA), Charles Snowden’s return to the Las Vegas Raiders was pretty much guaranteed.
Once the Silver & Black offered the 27-year-old defensive end a one-year contract, Snowden’s options were to accept and sign it or sit out the entire 2025 season. Despite his age, the Virginia product had fewer than three accrued seasons in the NFL and that, along with his expired contract, made him an ERFA.
Thus, Snowden returns after playing in 16 games with nine starts in 2024. Injuries and haphazard depth gave the undrafted free agent the opportunity for defensive snaps and the 6-foot-7 and 245-pounder took advantage. He shined in Weeks 3 and 4 last season — including a game-ending sack against the Cleveland Browns — and his return helps bolster the edge rusher group in Las Vegas.
By The Numbers
Charles Snowden, Defensive End
Yet, with Malcom Koonce’s clean bill of health and return along with the Raiders drafting versatile defensive linemen Tonka Hemmingway (fourth round, 135th overall) and JJ Pegues (sixth round, 180th overall) in the 2025 NFL Draft, Snowden faces much more competition to carve out a roster spot this coming season.
While Hemmingway (6-foot-2, 284 pounds) and Pegues are listed as defensive tackles (6-foot-2, 309 pounds), the rookies have the ability to move inside and outside as interior and edge defenders.
The Raiders also have incumbent Tyree Wilson in the fold (heading into his third year) along with undrafted free agents Jah Joyner, Jahfari Harvey, and Ovie Oghoufo in the defensive end room, too.
But it’s Koonce’s return that truly looms large.
The 2021 third-round pick had a break out 2023 campaign where he racked up eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and 43 total tackles. His 2024 season was wiped out with a knee injury but the Buffalo product is back and eager after signing a one-year, $11.04 million contract with $10.02 million fully guaranteed. Koonce’s $10.02 million cap number for 2025 not only represents the belief Las Vegas has in it’s 27-year-old pass rusher, but his status as starter, too.
That 2023 season, Koonce played in 17 games with 11 starts and totaled 500 defensive snaps (44 percent of Las Vegas’ defensive total). Likely to garner similar — if not more — snaps, Koonce is set to start opposite of elite defensive end Maxx Crosby in 2025.
Depth remains of utmost important, however. And having a group behind Crosby and Koonce that can come in and perform and produce is vital. With Crosby rarely coming off the field and assuming Koonce can play at 50 to 40 percent of the snaps once more in 2025, the...
