Raiders 2025: Leki Fotu the lead at nose tackle?

Defensive tackle has the size, strength to anchor as a run-stuffing, space-eating defender

When John Jenkins, Andrew Billings, and Johnathan Hankins were Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackles, there was no ambiguity on who would be the nose tackle.

That trio were the large and in charge immovable objects that were stout against the run and attracted more than one blocker. Jenkins (free agent), who most recently wore Silver & Black, provided an ample presence on Las Vegas’ interior defensive line at 6-foot-3 and 327 pounds. Billings (free agent) was shorter at 6-foot-1 and 311 pounds, but just as wide. While Hankins remains active (Seattle Seahawks) and tips the scales at 6-foot-3 and 325 pounds.

Jenkins, at the ripe age of 35, hasn’t announced his retirement and remains on the free agent market. Billings, 31, is in the same situation.

Thus, where do the Raiders stand at nose tackle?

To avoid a nose dive an address the need, general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll inked free agent Leki Fotu to a one-year, $1.4-plus million contract back in late March. The 26-year-old brings 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds to Las Vegas as he heads into his sixth season in the league after entering the pros as a fourth-round pick (114th overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft (Arizona Cardinals).

Fotu, who most recently played for the New York Jets, played in only two games for Gang Green and hit injured reserve twice in 2024. A total of 46 defensive and 20 special teams snaps highlighted his lone season as a Jet.

Fotu, based on experience, is likely the early favorite to earn snaps to line up over center on the Raiders interior defensive line. Even though he’s more of a slender 335 pounds — missing the width in his belly area — Fotu can anchor, command attention, and occupy with his strength. His career hasn’t been one of a full-time starter but the Raiders did have a nose regularly as part of the four down linemen rotation.

Jenkins logged a career-high 609 snaps for Las Vegas this past season (along with a career-high 103 special teams snaps). In his career, the most snaps Fotu saw was in 2022 where he had 499 on defense with the Cardinals (133 on special teams).

But certainly, Fotu can’t be the only defensive tackle able to man the nose, right? There are young options for depth — all rookies.

First, let’s take a look at the newest NFL International Pathway Program (IPP) add in Las Vegas: Laki Tasi. At an impressive 6-foot-6 and 347 pounds, the Samoan-born Australian prospect is making the switch from rugby to pro football. The 21-year-old rookie appears well-built and more of an athletic 347 than Ted Washington/Sam Adams-type.

Tasi’s arrival coincided with the Raiders waiving IPP defensive end David Aghoa and the defensive tackle will get to learn the pro game under Carroll and his coaching staff as an extremely raw but tantalizing physical measurements.

It’ll likely take time to get Tasi up to speed on the NFL game, however, this likely very little question as to if he can handle the physicality of the game after his rugby career.

There’s also JJ Pegues, a sixth-round pick (180th overall) out of Ole Miss. A compact, stout, and athletic tackle who lined up at multiple spots for the Rebels, the 6-foot-2 and 309-pound 23-year-old can dabble at nose. He can beat one-on-one and combo blocks and has the power to stand his ground on the interior.

Las Vegas harnessing Pegues’ motor and making it consistent can add a reliable linemen on the interior. While he wasn’t a high-volume sack artist, Pegues had back to back 3.5 sack seasons in 2023 and 2024 and had eight and 14 tackles for loss in those seasons.

(Don’t be surprised if he’s a short-yardage, power ball carrier too as former Raiders coach and current Ole Miss boss Lane Kiffin trusted Pegues in this role).

There’s another rookie on the nose tackle radar, although, his addition to the Raiders roster isn’t official yet: SMU’s Anthony Booker Jr.

With the requisite size at 6-foot-4 and 348 pounds, Booker does have the required mass to be a nose tackle, however, he spent the majority of his lone season with the Mustangs lined up as a three-technique/B-gap tackle and not directly lined up across from the center.