Last offseason, Las Vegas Raiders general manager John Spytek ventured to The Land Down Under to sign Laki Tasi, a former rugby star who came to the NFL from Australia through the International Player Pathway. The Silver and Black's newest defensive lineman was just 21 years old at the time.
But it didn't take long for then-Raiders head coach Pete Carroll to flip the world back upside down for Tasi by switching him to the offensive line. And for a player with little football experience, Tasi picked things up quickly and was a big winner of the preseason at guard.
That momentum was halted during the regular season, however, as Tasi remained on the practice squad. And with Carroll now out of the picture, Tasi seemed to return to the spot that Spytek planned for him earlier this offseason. Now that the move is official, Tasi has talked about the transition back.
Las Vegas Raiders' Laki Tasi speaks on transition back to DL
In an exclusive interview with Samoan Raider, Tasi opened up about the switch from guard back to defensive tackle. It sounds like Las Vegas' young stud from the IPP program is relieved to be back playing what many, other than Carroll, thought would be his natural position.
"It was really easy doing the transition because I've been playing D-line before," Tasi said. "Now, you get the hands working, the footwork and everything. So, the transition was easy."
Tasi also told Samoan Raider about how exactly this transition went down with the new staff in Las Vegas.
"When I got the call a week prior, before we had to go in to our first day of offseason (practice), (DL) coach Trav(is Smith) said, 'How are you, how's it going? This is Coach Trav. I just want to see if you're keen to do D-line.' And I was like, 'Hell yeah.' I mean, why not, bro? I've said it before: I'm trying to put value onto the team. I'm always (thinking of) the team first," Tasi said.
Although young and, in a lot of ways, still tabula rasa when it comes to football and life in the NFL, Tasi seems to already have an incredibly mature outlook on things. But his youth is also a massive benefit because he won't turn 23 until halfway through the 2026 NFL season and already has experience.
Development won't happen by accident, though. Tasi will need to put in the work to get better. Fortunately for him, the Raiders' coaching staff is all about teaching, and Las Vegas has a great crew of defensive linemen for Tasi to learn on the job from.
"Now, I just need something to work on. I need someone to look up on. And then when I went to the room, you got a whole D-line with the greats. You got Thomas Booker, AB (Adam Butler), you got Maxx Crosby," Tasi said.
It is anyone's guess how Tasi's transition will turn out. Based on how quickly he picked up the guard spot last preseason, fans shouldn't necessarily be shocked to see Tasi make waves in the heart of the defense this coming fall. But Tasi knows that he still has a long way to go.
"The other boys are vibing, and they're excited for the year. And I'm more excited to learn the game more. 1% better every day, we'll get there when we get there."
Thankfully, there is no rush for Tasi to become even a rosterable defensive tackle. This is a rebuild, and he is in a unique spot as an IPP player, where Las Vegas can keep him around without counting him toward their finite roster allotment.
But something tells me that an elite athlete like Tasi with a great attitude and approach, and who has already proven to be a quick learner, may work his way up at Raiders HQ sooner rather than later. In the meantime, though, it seems like he is readjusting back to his natural position just fine.
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