In an offseason in which the Las Vegas Raiders either fully upgraded or at least added a lot to every position on the roster, wide receiver and defensive tackle were somewhat left behind. No early-round draft picks or trades were made at those spots, and no huge free agency contracts were handed out.
A big part of John Spytek making this gamble is the fact that he drafted two players at each position in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he isn't just selling their stocks after Pete Carroll failed to develop or utilize them as rookies. But this also means that those young players need to step up in a big way in 2026.
When it comes to the defensive tackle position, all eyes have been on Tonka Hemingway for a big Year 2 leap. Fans have been hoping to hear an update about that very development now that training camp is underway after hearing him referred to as an "X-factor" and a "ceiling-raiser" this offseason.
It only took two practices for it to appear that Hemingway is taking that much-anticipated big step.
Tonka Hemingway is making his presence known at Raiders training camp
A social media post from Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards from training camp said that Hemingway was among a group of players on the defensive interior who made plays for the Las Vegas defense in Thursday's practice. Making plays is great, but it matters what kind and against whom they come.
ESPN's Ryan McFadden noted shortly after that Hemingway was "heavily involved in the first team defense." For a guy who made just two appearances and played 25 defensive snaps before Week 10 last year, Hemingway being a key factor in the top group is a big leap for the second-year defender.
As fans may remember, Hemingway finally got a shot to prove himself later in the year, playing 113 defensive snaps and appearing in the final five contests of the 2025 NFL season. The results speak for themselves: He recorded 8 tackles, including 5 for a loss, 4.0 sacks, 6 QB hits and a batted pass.
And it sounds like Hemingway is picking up right where he left off ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Even new defensive coordinator Rob Leonard, who was Hemingway's position coach during his rookie campaign, had great things to say about the young player in a post-practice press conference.
"Maturity, consistency," Leonard said when asked his thoughts on Hemingway. "He has done everything right that he controls from the offseason. Learned a lot of his routine from Maxx [Crosby]. It's been fun to watch him develop as a man, as a player, and now he's got to carry it over to pads."
The pads coming on will, of course, be the true test for Hemingway. Thought to be a bit of a tweener coming out of the draft as a lighter defensive tackle prospect, the South Carolina product hushed those notions when he finally got some runway in his rookie season. But that isn't a golden ticket.
Klint Kubiak and his coaching staff wiped the slate clean this offseason. It's not as if the film is unimportant; Kubiak and John Spytek have been clear that film is a player's résumé in the NFL. But if Hemingway doesn't earn it in camp and win his positional competition, he won't see as many snaps.
It's as simple as that.
Tonka Hemingway poised for bigger role on Raiders' defensive line in 2026
Luckily for him, Hemingway's résumé and strong showings in the spring practices and early parts of the summer program should give him a leg up when contact soon becomes not only allowed, but encouraged.
Edwards indicated in his column that Hemingway shined both as a run defender and a pass-rusher during Thursday's session, but he also lumped Hemingway in with incumbent starters Adam Butler and Jonah Laulu, referring to last year's starter, Thomas Booker IV, as someone "in contention."
This marks a dramatic shift from last season, when Booker IV was a starter and Hemingway was inactive on many game days. Again, these are reports from just a few training camp practices, so there is no need to sound the alarms. But these sessions aren't unimportant; they mean a great deal.
Obviously, the defensive interior will be a rotation, and the more strong and capable bodies the Raiders have, the better. But Hemingway may have pulled ahead of his foes in the early going and is poised to step up in a defensive tackle room that really needs him.
Fans wanted Hemingway's breakout to come, and so far, it's starting to peek through. And while that's great, hopefully, this is still just the tip of the iceberg for him as an NFL player.
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