The Las Vegas Raiders are making it clear: the youth movement along the defensive line is officially underway.
On Tuesday, the team released veteran defensive tackle Leki Fotu, a move that raises eyebrows not just for the timing-coming just ahead of Week 16-but for what it says about the Raiders’ confidence in their rookie talent. While Fotu’s departure marks the end of a brief tenure in silver and black, it also signals a changing of the guard in the trenches.
Let’s rewind for a moment. The Raiders’ defensive front took a major hit before training camp when they parted ways with Christian Wilkins, the $110 million centerpiece of their interior defense.
That left a sizable void, both in production and presence. But instead of panicking, the front office went to work.
They brought back Adam Butler and Jonah Laulu, added Fotu in free agency, and then doubled down on youth by drafting Tonka Hemingway and J.J. Pegues on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
At the time, Hemingway and Pegues were viewed as long-term projects-players with raw tools who might need a year or two to develop. The early-season plan reflected that: Butler, Laulu, and Fotu were expected to carry the load, while the rookies learned from the sidelines.
But plans in the NFL rarely survive contact with the regular season. Once John Spytek pulled off a trade for Thomas Booker IV, the depth chart got crowded fast.
Someone was going to lose snaps-and early on, it was the rookies. Hemingway was active just twice before Week 10, and Pegues didn’t see the field until Week 4, playing in only two games before Week 12.
Fotu, meanwhile, saw action in five of the first nine games.
Then came the shift.
As the Raiders’ season began to drift out of playoff contention, the coaching staff leaned into development. Hemingway and Pegues started getting more meaningful reps.
Since Week 10, Hemingway has played in four of six games, and Pegues has suited up for four straight. Their performances haven’t been flawless, but they’ve flashed the kind of upside that makes you take notice-disruption in the backfield, quickness off the snap, and the kind of motor that gets noticed in film rooms.
Fotu, on the other hand, found himself on the outside looking in. He’s been active just once since Week 9. And now, he’s out of the rotation entirely.
In six games for the Raiders, Fotu logged 147 defensive snaps, 13 on special teams, and finished with eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and a quarterback hit. It’s a respectable stat line for a rotational lineman, but clearly not enough to hold off the youth movement that’s gaining steam in Vegas.
The timing of the release is curious. If the idea was to let Fotu catch on with a contender, it’s late in the game. And given that his most familiar NFL stops-Arizona and the Jets-aren’t exactly playoff-bound, it’s unclear what the next step looks like for the veteran.
Could this be a temporary roster shuffle? Possibly.
Teams often make late-season moves to juggle depth, especially when evaluating young talent. Fotu could still return on a practice squad or a futures deal.
But more likely, this is a sign that the Raiders are ready to see what they really have in Hemingway and Pegues-and they’re clearing the runway for them to take off.
It’s a bold move, but one that fits the moment. With the postseason out of reach, the Raiders are using these final weeks to build for 2026. And if their rookie tackles continue to grow the way they have over the last month, this could be the start of something promising up front.