More snaps equals more production tends to the tale of the NFL tape.
Such was the case for Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jonah Laulu. Logging 764 snaps over the course of 17 games (15 starts) in 2025, the Sin City-native had a productive Year 2 totaling 51 tackles (eight behind the line of scrimmage), four sacks, and five pass deflections — all career highs. As a rookie in 2024, Laulu notched 475 snaps and in 17 games (seven starts) tallied 35 total tackles (three stops for loss) alongside a sack and a trio
of pass deflections.
Not bad for a scrapheap-type flier waiver claim by the Silver & Black a day after after Laulu was waived as a 2024 NFL Draft seventh-round pick (234th overall) by the Indianapolis Colts on August 27, 2024.
By The Numbers
Jonah Laulu, Defensive Tackle, 3rd Year
- 2025: 17 games (15 starts), 51 total tackles (24 solo), 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 5 pass deflections
- Career: 34 games (22 starts), 86 total tackles (39 solo), 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 8 pass deflections
Continuing that upward trend is vital for both Laulu and the Raiders defense. The 26-year-old is not only an ascending young player but at 6-foot-5 and 289 pounds, the Oklahoma product has the size and versatility to line up at defensive end in Las Vegas base 3-4 alignment and shifting back inside to tackle when defensive coordinator Rob Leonard deploys even-man fronts.
While he brings plenty of height, Laulu’s listed weight is lighter in comparison to other Raiders interior defensive linemen. At 289 pounds, the only other counterpart lighter is Tonka Hemingway (6-foot-2 and 284 pounds). Why is this distinction important?
While athletic and bringing suddenness off the snap, Laulu has struggled taking on heavy double teams — which are frequent on the interior. Fortunately for Laulu, Las Vegas’ transition to a 3-4 base defensive front will help insulate him from this exact thing.
A well-executed odd front naturally limits offensive lines from executing combination blocks as it’s unclear to the offense what defenders are doing exactly. The 3-4 front helps create confusion as a combination of defenders can be sent on blitzes to get after the quarterback or stuff running lanes while others may feign rush only to drop back in coverage.
Laulu’s quickness off the snap looms large as a positive as lining up as a defensive end in 3-4 looks provides him the opportunity to take on tackles and use his ample length and explosion to make an impact as both rusher and run stopper.
Sustained Statistics
“It’s an effort-based front,” Raiders defensive line boss Travis Smith noted. “Whether we’re rushing four, we’re rushing five, we’re rushing three — it doesn’t matter. The intensity and disposition that we play with is non-negotiable.”
Count Laulu as an effort-based paragon in Silver & Black.
Arriving with a chip on his shoulder getting waived after about four months of time with the Colts, Laulu showcased an exceptionally high motor and relentlessness that endeared himself to Leonard, who served as the Raiders defensive line coach before being elevated by head coach Klint Kubiak as the defensive coordinator this offseason. Leonard saw up close that urgency and it aligns with his own aggressive philosophy of never quit. While not on the gold standard level of Maxx Crosby, Laulu’s grit allows him to overcome technical shortcomings as he’s able to stay on a play and continue to chase down quarterbacks and ballcarriers, alike.
The four sacks the defensive tackle accumulated in the first six weeks of the 2025 regular season is a testament to that. However, the quarterback takedown in a 20-10 victory over the visiting Tennessee Titans in Week 6 was the final sack of Laulu’s tally this past year.
Sustaining sack production throughout the course of a 17-week regular season is a must for the defender.
While Laulu did well to rack up 11 pressures, two hurries, and seven quarterback hits — according to Pro Football Reference — I’ll go with the patented Crosby phrase (from the late great Kobe Bryant): More is required.
An Anchor
Refining his deficiencies as a run defender is integral for Laulu’s continued development and for the betterment of Las Vegas defense, overall. To improve on this portion of his game, he’ll need to work on pad level, hand usage, and lower-body strength and leverage.
Excelling as a pass rusher only gets you so far and if teams identify you as a weak link against the run, they’ll attack Laulu until he proves he’s a stout run stuffer. Gaining more functional lower-body strength presents more of an anchor factor and keeping his base wide and pad level low helps prevent Laulu from getting washed out by offensive linemen. And quicker hand fighting can present more fluid block shedding at the point of attack.
And this all belabors one of the stark statistics on Laulu’s resume, from Pro Football Reference: Missed tackles. The group charted Laulu with 10 missed tackles in 2025, a distinction that ties the defensive lineman with safety Jeremy Chinn as the fourth most on the team. Improved tackling is a team issue I’ll explore in a separate piece later this week.
Fiscal Future
Being claimed off waivers, Las Vegas inherited the four-year, $4.124-plus million contract Laulu inked as a seventh-round pick by Indianapolis. The 2026 season represents Year 3 of that pact with the defender earning a modest $1.075 million this coming year. The 2027 season marks the final of the rookie pact with Laulu slated to earn $1.19 million.
Continuing his upward trajectory as viable contributor on the Raiders certainly has a fiscal impact on his future as he can earn vastly more with stacked productive seasons this coming year and next — from Las Vegas or one of the other 31 teams in the league. As it stands now, Laulu is set to hit unrestricted free agency in the 2028 offseason sans a contract extension with the Raiders before then.
