The Raiders are hopeful that Christian Wilkins will be ready for the start of the season, but if he is forced to miss time with another setback, there’s a rookie on the roster that could develop into Wilkins’ eventual replacement.
South Carolina defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway was projected to be drafted as high as the third round, but ended up falling to the 135th pick.
Hemingway was the second defensive player taken in this year’s draft by GM John Spytek, and if he has a significant role in his first season, there’s reason to believe he’ll be able to handle it.
South Carolina defensive line coach Travian Robertson talked about Hemingway this week, and compared the former Gamecock to another fourth-round pick on the Raiders’ roster.
“I see [Tonka] being a pass-rusher in the NFL will be his main attribute,” Robertson told Silver and Black Pride. “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 continued. “I think it’s going to be a very good thing that Tonka will have Maxx with him.”
That’s a strong comparison from Hemingway’s former position coach, but Crosby was an unknown player at one time, too, and 31 other teams would have been wise to listen to Crosby’s trainer back in 2019.
According to Raiders.com beat writer Levi Edwards, Adam Butler along with second-year player Jonah Laulu took the majority of snaps in Wilkins’ absence at OTAs, but Hemingway was in the rotation, as well.
Edwards reported this week that Wilkins has been “active around the building this offseason, but didn’t partake in any minicamp practices” and several beat writers around the team have downplayed the setback he suffered to his foot sometime around February.
If all goes as planned, Wilkins will be at 100 percent when the season starts, but it’s been a little while since “all went as planned” for the Raiders.
x: @raidersbeat