The Las Vegas Raiders have a slew of young players trying to make the roster in their first year in the NFL this offseason, including International Player Pathway (IPP) signee Laki Tasi.
Tasi is a rugby player from Samoa, who recently played for Queensland Samoa before making the jump to the NFL through the IPP.
While Tasi originally joined Las Vegas as a defensive lineman, Raiders defensive line coach Rob Leonard recently shared (via Sports Illustrated's Hondo Carpenter) that the 6-foot-6, 348-pound rugby player would be flipping to offensive side of the ball and trying his hand at guard.
Obviously, coming from a rugby background, Tasi has the athleticism to be an intriguing guard prospect in the NFL today. He'll now have a chance to compete for a roster spot with a new group for the rest of the team's offseason program.
Offensive line depth is so important, and while the Raiders have invested in their guard depth (signing Alex Cappa and drafting Caleb Rogers in the third round), Tasi may earn a practice squad spot as he continues to learn and grow in a sport that's still fairly new to him.
The IPP is a program that the NFL has used yearly since 2016 which gives football players from outside the United States and Canada an opportunity to make the league.
Players signed through the IPP don't count toward the team's 90-man roster to the offseason, but if the team wants them around during the regular season, they've have to be on the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata is probably the most successful IPP player to this point after making the jump from rugby in Australia to the NFL, becoming an All-Pro, signing a massive $66 million extension and winning a Super Bowl in just seven years.
