Sportsnaut
The Las Vegas Raiders have young, inexperienced players in key spots. In some cases, it could be a positive due to the upside, though the depth chart also raises significant question marks, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
Under new head coach Pete Carroll, the Raiders turned over nearly their entire secondary except for safety Isaiah Pola-Mao, who has just 14 career starts.
Jeremy Chinn is the team’s most experienced defensive starter in the secondary. Eric Stokes has missed 22 games over the last three years as a part-time starting cornerback. Everywhere else on the back end, Las Vegas is banking on significant development.
The Raiders are mostly set within the front seven, but their decision to release Christian Wilkins creates opportunities for several upstart defensive tackles to assume major roles.
Looking at the team’s depth chart, here are three of the biggest roster questions ahead of the 2025 season.
Late in July, the Raiders released Wilkins. He only played five games with the team, so it’s not a massive loss in terms of field time, but someone must fill the spot alongside Adam Butler.
In Wilkins’ absence last season, Jonah Laulu saw significant action, playing 43% of the defensive snaps in 17 games, including seven starts. He logged 35 tackles, three for loss, five pressures and a sack.
This year, Laulu will face more competition in the rotation. Las Vegas selected Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues in the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively. The club also signed Leki Fotu and acquired Thomas Booker IV in exchange for Jakorian Bennett.
Expect the coaching staff to mix and match defensive tackles based on down and distance, though Butler should lead the group in snaps due to his pass-rushing ability. He’s registered five sacks in back-to-back campaigns.
Hemingway, Pegues and Booker all flashed in the preseason. The Raiders will need to see consistency from one of these defensive tackles to solidify the interior of their front line.
Las Vegas has four safeties on the 53-man roster and three reserves on the practice squad, counting JT Woods, who previously played the position with the Los Angeles Chargers but lined up at cornerback during training camp.
Pola-Mao will likely play the most snaps at safety. Chinn will see considerable action in the slot. That leaves Chris Smith II primed to take on a lead role when the team fields five defensive backs.
At 5-foot-10, 197 pounds, Smith doesn’t fit the prototypical mold of Carroll’s defensive backs, but he had a strong showing through the offseason. The third-year pro has played just 33 career defensive snaps.
Carroll has repeatedly said he’s not afraid to play inexperienced guys in big spots. Until Lonnie Johnson Jr. recovers from a broken fibula, Smith has a chance to prove himself in a part-time starting position in the Raiders’ nickel defense.
How Will Raiders Rotate Cornerbacks Opposite Stokes? ----------------------------------------------------...
