Las Vegas Raiders-Los Angeles Chargers FEED topic: Which defensive tackles will step up?

There’s a chance that the Las Vegas Raiders are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs with a Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, if the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Tennessee Titans and either the Houston Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts or the Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Regardless, the 2-9 Raiders are virtually eliminated from postseason contention and should be evaluating which players on the roster can be part of the long-term plan.

Defensive tackle is one position that warrants keeping a close eye on over the next few weeks. Las Vegas’ defensive line lacks a true difference maker on the interior, and Maxx Crosby could use some help in the trenches.

The team has been waiting for players like Jonah Laulu and Thomas Booker IV to step up, but neither has provided the consistency to establish themselves as a legitimate X-factor moving forward. While Adam Butler has been the Raiders’ best and most consistent defensive tackle over the last two years, Butler turns 32 years old in the offseason and is far from the dominant force that the defense is looking for.

Lurking in the shadows of the defensive line are rookies Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues. Those two have flipped back and forth between being active and healthy scratches this season. However, both have worked into the Silver and Black’s rotation recently and shown flashes of what they can do with a bigger opportunity moving forward.

With the 2026 NFL draft and free agency coming up, it’s time for at least one defensive tackle to step up, and this week is a great opportunity for someone within the position group to make a name for himself. The Chargers’ offensive line has been notably weak this season, especially on the interior. For example, offensive tackle Joe Alt is the team’s only lineman to earn a grade from Pro Football Focus above 60, PFF’s baseline, and Alt suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of the month.

So, for this week’s gameday topic on The FEED, we’ll keep tabs on Las Vegas’ defensive tackles to see if someone can take advantage of the opportunity and build some momentum heading into next season. The game kicks off at 1:25 p.m. PST and will air on CBS (check your local listings). I look forward to talkin’ some ball with y’all!