Nov 30, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) is tackled by South Carolina defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway (91) and South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr (17) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

Scouting Raiders' DL Pick Hemingway

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael France | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders selected South Carolina defensive end Tonka Hemingway in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

He is a versatile player who can play just about anywhere on the line thanks to his athleticism and measurables. The Raiders were expected to take a defensive lineman, as they need to get younger on the line.

Per Lance Zierlein from NFL.com:

"“Tweener” type with good athletic ability but limitations on how he can be played. The former defensive end displayed enough quickness and lateral movement to flash for the South Carolina defense. Hemingway will need to align as a 4i (inside shoulder of OT) or five-technique as he simply doesn’t have the strength to leverage his gaps as a run defender inside. His best bet might be to drop weight and rebrand as a 4-3 base defensive end with sub-package rush potential inside."

The Draft Network projects him as a scheme specific contributor.

"Against the run, Hemingway was able to fit his hands into defenders well but occasionally struggled to hold his ground. When taking on single blocks, he’s able to quickly diagnose the intentions of opposing linemen and their leverage to shed blocks off the snap. With that being the case, Hemingway’s chest would rise and make him vulnerable. It’s hard to see that working consistently against NFL linemen with the absence of an elite athletic profile.

"It's evident by this that Hemingway would best fit in a penetration defense where he’s not asked to two-gap defenders unless playing as a C-gap defender—Hemingway did show a strong ability to get his hands from 2 to 1 and maintain C-gap integrity.

"In the passing game, there’s a baseline skill set that’s worth mentioning. Hemingway’s length joined with several different pass-rush moves offers some considerable upside. With this being said, Hemingway struggled to get to counter-moves when his initial attempt would be stopped. He struggled to use power moves or counters to apply pressure to the pocket. The one thing Hemingway does, maybe better than any in this class, is deflect passes at the line of scrimmage. This is an underrated attribute that even secured Hemingway and his teammates a win against Kentucky after deflecting back-to-back passes on 3rd-and-5 and 4th-and-5."

Below is each pick the Raiders have left in the draft.