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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 11: NFL player Laki Tasi of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on ahead of the round 18 AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Magpies at People First Stadium on July 11, 2025 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
One of the most interesting players for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason might not even be a rookie, but second-year youngster Laki Tasi.
Tasi, 6’6″ 373-lbs, was brought in as the second member of Australia’s 2025 class of International Player Pathway talent last offseason as an undrafted free agent. Originally coming in as a defensive lineman, Tasi was switched to offensive guard under former head coach Pete Carroll and had a solid preseason at guard last year.
However, Tasi looks to make yet another position change, this time back under Klint Kubiak.
GettyNFL player Laki Tasi of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on ahead of the round 18 AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and Collingwood Magpies at People First Stadium on July 11, 2025 in Gold Coast, Australia.
The Athletic’s Sam Warren pointed out that Tasi is working out with the defensive tackles in the Raiders’ offseason program and would address a huge need at NT.
Las Vegas, switching from a 4-3 base defense to a 3-4 base defense, now has a bigger emphasis on the nose tackle position. Yet, the Raiders drafted just one defensive tackle, NC State’s Brandon Cleveland, in the seventh round.
“It was expected that the Raiders would address their need for a defensive tackle earlier in the draft,” Ryan McFadden of ESPN wrote. “Instead, they waited until the seventh round by taking Cleveland — who can be a productive run defender in the trenches.”
The Raiders have a few options at NT— Adam Butler, JJ Pegues, Brodric Martin-Rhodes, and Cleveland — but is Tasi a viable option, given he’s slated to make yet another position change?
It appears Laki Tasi is working out with the defensive tackles in the Raiders offseason program.
Tasi was originally signed as a defensive lineman through the IPP Program but moved to OL. Looks like he could be getting switched back under the new coaching staff.
There’ll be competition for Tasi as he makes the switch back to the defensive line, but Ted Nguyen of The Athletic believes the switch would be a good move.
“Not sure but Tasi to DL would be a good move,” Nguyen said. He did add that he doesn’t believe Tasi fits Kubiak’s system, but at 6’6″ and 373 pounds, there’s potential for Tasi to be a man-stopper in the middle of the Raiders’ defensive line.
A former rugby player, Tasi has the physical attributes and talent to excel on the defensive line, but it would be a tough challenge for him to make the roster nonetheless.
If the Raiders want a proven defensive tackle, there are still some quality veterans available on the open market:
However, the sense is that the Raiders will roll with what they currently have.
“Raiders general manager John Spytek and head coach Klint Kubiak are smart men and have likely seen from afar just how important building depth is for sustained success,” Raiders SI Jared Feinberg wrote. “The lessons from their NFL counterparts in Los Angeles, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Carolina provide the playbook for getting Las Vegas back on the map as a contender.”
The Raiders made all the right moves this offseason on paper, but there are questions about whether the defensive tackle position will be a weak spot on defense. The hope is that Tasi could be an unsung hero as he’s set to make a position switch back to the defensive line.
Isaac Zuniga is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders. More about Isaac Zuniga
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