Carving out a roster spot will be uphill climb for Raiders’ Tank Booker

Undrafted free agent brings prototypical nose tackle size to Las Vegas

On sheer size alone, Anthony “Tank” Booker Jr. will get your attention.

At 6-foot-3 and 347 pounds, the SMU product is built like a prototypical nose tackle that can be plopped on any NFL defensive line. That height and weight drew the Las Vegas Raiders eyes as the Mustang’s graduate student signed as an undrafted free agent with the Silver & Black after the 2025 NFL Draft.

But even with that ideal size, Tank finds himself in an uphill climb to make the Raiders roster.

By The Numbers
Anthony Booker Jr., Defensive Tackle, SMU

• 2024: 13 games, 17 total tackles (5 solo), 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery (returned for touchdown)
• Career (2019-24): 54 games, 82 total tackles (42 solo), 2.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 1 pass deflection, 1 fumble recovery 9returend for touchdown), 2 forced fumbles

Las Vegas’ depth at nose tackle was questionable heading into the offseason under a new regime captained by general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll. John Jenkins, who manned the nose on the Raiders defensive line at 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens. And replacing his output is going to be a challenge as Jenkins was not only the big-bodied, tough space-eating defensive tackle, he was very productive with 107 total tackles (37 solo), seven tackles for loss, two sacks, six pass deflections, and a fumble recover (returned for a touchdown) in his two season in the desert from 2023 to 2024.

While Jenkins is long in the tooth at 35 years of age, he was a 34-game starter with the Raiders. And that’s nothing to scoff at.

Needing to shore up that particular spot on the interior defensive line, Spytek inked Leki Fotu to a one-year, $1.4-plus million contract in free agency. The 26-year-old veteran brings a strong 6-foot-5 and 335 pound frame to Las Vegas and has the experience and physicality to be a force on the middle.

While Fotu is more slender than the average 330-plus pound defensive tackle (he doesn’t have the pronounced gut many other nose tackles sport), the Oakland-native has the core strength to anchor and be an immovable and powerful type on the interior. And it’s no surprise to see the veteran heading into his sixth season in the NFL (drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 draft by the Arizona Cardinals) out in front when it comes to the nose tackle spot this offseason.

On redundancy alone, Booker has a plausible track to crack the Raiders roster. No other defensive lineman is close in weight. And Booker has plenty of collegiate game experience as his 54 career games were spread at Maryland (2020-22), Arkansas (2023) and finally SMU (2024). His most productive statistical season arrived in 2022 when he racked up 27 total tackles (17 solo), two sacks, five tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.

While unlocking consistency will be key — this is true for other rookies on the Raiders roster, however — Booker has the ability to anchor and occupy multiple blockers with his height and weight.

But not only does Booker have Fotu in front of him, Las Vegas also snagged Ole Miss’ JJ Pegues in the sixth round (180th overall) in the 2025 draft. The Mississippi-native is an intriguing defensive tackle who lined up all along the Running Rebels’ defensive line and, at 6-foot-2 and 309 pounds, he has the build to line up at nose in the NFL. Pegues is quick off the ball and has light feet which are effective as both defender and occasional ball carrier.

Once Pegues refines his technique against double teams, his rare change of direction quickness is going to stand out.

Fellow 2025 draft classmate, Tonka Hemingway — taken in the fourth round (135th overall) — wasn’t lined up over the center at South Carolina much, but the rookie has similar position versatility in the trenches and has the hybrid defensive end/tackle build at 6-foot-2 and 284 pounds.

Thus, there’s plenty of competition and options Las Vegas can look at to fill the void left by Jenkins.

What’ll help Booker’s roster chances are a strong training camp when the Raiders reconvene in mid-July. That’s when the pads will come on and the coaching staff get to see who are the warriors in shorts vs the standouts when things become real.

Also, if premiere defensive tackle Christian Wilkins continues to miss time with his foot ailment, that’ll open up snaps and a potential roster spot if the veteran can’t get to 100 percent before the regular season arrives.

Either way, Tank is in the driver seat of his roster spot chances. And it’s up to him to see if he can tread towards a roster spot or get lost in the shuffle despite having ideal size.