The end of the 2025 NFL season revealed a lot about the Las Vegas Raiders. And one of the biggest things that fans learned was that rookie Tonka Hemingway should have been part of the rotation at defensive tackle at least much earlier in the campaign, if not from the jump.
That feeling was validated this offseason when Klint Kubiak took over and promoted Rob Leonard, who instantly thrust Hemingway into the starting role on the interior next to Adam Butler. The hype about the second-year pro was palpable coming out of the offseason program and training camp.
Not only were reporters raving about him, but those in the building were, including assistant GM Brian Stark. And while the preseason wasn't exactly loaded with great plays by Hemingway, he has already shown in the 2026 NFL seaso why the buzz about him was so strong in the spring and summer.
And against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3, Hemingway can really explode in a favorable matchup.
Tonka Hemingway is looking like the player Raiders fans were promised
Hemingway hasn't jumped off the screen yet in the way that he did last year by racking up sacks. But the young player is making a solid impact in a much bigger sample size and becoming more well-rounded as a run defender, which is an area that he struggled in during his rookie season.
Through two games, Hemingway has seven tackles and two stops against the run, and he continues to contribute in several ways against the pass. As a rusher, he's already notched four pressures, including one quarterback hit, but Hemingway has also helped out a lot in coverage.
He has batted down two passes already, and Hemingway has even dropped in coverage four times this year without giving up a completion. Not only is he getting after the quarterback, but he is helping patch things up for the coverage unit in several ways.
His versatility is also a great thing for an imaginative play-caller like Leonard, as Hemingway has logged snaps primarily at the 3-tech, but he's also lined up over the tackle quite a bit, too. And on a handful of reps, he's been at the nose or on the edge, which keeps offenses guessing.
Plays like this show his improvement as a run defender, and Hemingway is still getting pressure from the interior, even if he hasn't gotten home yet. It's still early, but this is the breakout that Raider Nation was promised from Hemingway. And he has a chance to build on that in Week 3 against the Saints.
Saints' IOL shouldn't provide much resistance vs. Las Vegas' Tonka Hemingway
Much has been made about New Orleans' offensive tackle situation, which will make life fairly easy for Maxx Crosby and the gang on the edge. But the Saints' interior offensive line isn't exactly robust with stars, so Hemingway has an advantageous matchup that he could exploit in Week 3.
At center, New Orleans has a solid player in Erik McCoy, but he did give up two pressures and two hits in Week 1. As a run-blocker, he's been merely average, according to Pro Football Focus. And McCoy has been the best player on the interior so far, as the Saints' guards have struggled mightily.
Cesar Ruiz has been solid enough in pass coverage, giving up just two pressures in two games, but he has been a big reason why New Orleans can't run the ball. His 42.4 PFF run-blocking grade is the fourth-worst in the NFL among qualifying guards.
On the other side, David Edwards has already given up six pressures and a hit for the Saints, and he's been average in the run game. This is a huge opportunity for Hemingway to take a leap and flex his muscles against a crew of interior players who are not exactly performing well in the early going.
Hemingway is already meeting expectations, even if Raider Nation probably expected a bit too much out of a second-year player who barely got any reps as a rookie after being selected on Day 3. But he's played well, and his production and impact should only grow on Sunday in New Orleans.
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