The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2025 NFL Draft with one type of player in mind -- athletes who love to play football and can do it at a high level, no questions asked.
They got that in every single player that they drafted. Pete Carroll, the former Seattle Seahawks head coach, certainly has a type, and when you mix that with what John Spytek knows from his days with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, you get this draft class.
They have guys who can play football wherever they are needed, guys who are versatile, and guys who jump off the page as athletes. And, you can even see that with the free agent class that they brought in.
One of the players who fits the model may be better than anyone is their sixth-round defensive tackle in JJ Pegues, whom we saw play a multitude of positions in college at Ole Miss. He played wildcat quarterback, running back fullback, and of course, defensive tackle.
And somehow, playing all of those positions on offense has somehow helped him be better on the defenisve side of the ball.
"Just me being able to play all those positions, that is one thing that has helped me with my conditioning and just me being in shape," Pegues told reporters after he was drafted.
"And also being able to do different things like slant, redirect, and make plays in the backfield just because of my quickness and me playing both sides of the ball. So, it definitely helps out on both sides. It's a big factor. I always played offense my whole life and I feel like that's a big reason why I am successful at playing D-line is because of the way I can move, bend, and things like that."
Pegues has the traits to be a great defensive tackle at the next level, but he has to commit to having one thing he wants to be excellent at first. Does he want to be a run-stopper and play near the center as maybe a nose tackle or even a one or two technique? Or, does he want to really hone in on being a disruptor in the pass game?
Yes, he can do both, but he needs to excel at one of them first to find his way onto the field in what is really a stacked defensive line room, with some really good defensive tackles like Christian Wilkins, Adam Butler, and others waiting their turn.
His athleticism alone should help him, but he needs to really put in the work, too.
