The Las Vegas Raiders want to get better on the defensive side of the ball next season. One position group that will have to be good to help out the rest of the defense, is the defensive line. The defense line sets the tone for the rest of the defense, and if they are playing well, it will be easier for the others to play their position at a high level, like the Silver and Black want them to.
The Raiders know they have some of the best, if not the best defensive linemen in the National Football League. But they still added to that this offseason. Last season, the defensive line depth for the Raiders was huge. And next season, they want to have the same depth, to help keep fresh legs on the field and be that much better later in games. The fresher the better for the Raiders.
One player they added this offseason is rookie defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway. The team selected Hemingway in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of the University of South Carolina. Hemingway had a good college career, and getting him in the fourth round, the team felt good about it because some thought he would be gone by that round.
Hemingway is having a good offseason with the Raiders. He is showing that he wants to be a big part of the defense next season. In minicamp, Hemingway is practicing hard and is showing off his skill set to the fullest. He is still going to have to have a good training camp in pads to show his coaches that he is ready to play at the NFL level in his first year.
“I see [Tonka] being a pass-rusher in the NFL will be his main attribute,” said Hemingway's former college coach, Travian Robertson to SB Nation. “He is an all-around player, and he can play anywhere on the line, but I just see him being a big-time pass-rusher. He cares so much. He’s all business. He’s all football. The main thing is the main thing for him. He’s never going to stop working.”
“I see Maxx in him,” Robertson added. “I think it’s going to be a very good thing that Tonka will have Maxx with him.”
Hemingway has a group of teammates on the defensive line that will be helpful and help him reach his full potential in the league.
