The Raiders went into the offseason with a lot of needs on the roster, and near the top of the list, from the outside at least, was the defensive tackle position.
Going into the 2026 draft, Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was one of the popular projected picks for the Raiders, but GM John Spytek ended up not taking an interior defensive lineman until the seventh round (Brandon Cleveland).
Maybe Spytek and the decision makers in Las Vegas weren’t impressed by the draft’s mid-round options at defensive tackle, but it’s possible they felt good about someone already on the roster.
Everyone knows the organization thinks a lot of Adam Butler, but according to the California Post’s Vinny Bonsignore, one of last year’s fourth round picks has been creating buzz in the building.
“He needs to take that next step, but there’s a lot of people in the building that believe [Hemingway] will take that next step,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate.
“That’s why there’s such intrigue and just quiet confidence in the building that Tonka Hemingway is going to be a pretty darn good player this year for the Raiders. That’s a very real thing I can assure you… Him stepping up obviously would just help the defense immensely. But it’s not even just ‘Man, he needs to step it up.’ There’s a real expectation that he’s going to do exactly that.”
Hemingway potentially a Crosby-like player on the defensive interior?
Hemingway has not been talked about a lot since the 2025 season ended but he did come to the organization a year ago with some hype.
University of South Carolina defensive line coach Travian Robertson talked about Hemingway in June of last year 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.”
x: @raidersbeat
This isn’t a good sign. Can’t overvalue your own picks