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Insider mentions young Raiders player has switched positions

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated May 30, 2025 11:13 AM ET

During OTAs, the Las Vegas Raiders are continuing to tinker with their lineup and see which players are best in certain situations.

This includes cross-training certain players, placing them at different positions to see where their athleticism is best suited. This is the case with sixth-round rookie Tommy Mellott, the former Montana State quarterback who is expected to go the Julian Edelman route and convert to wide receiver. For young players, this is a tremendous opportunity to figure out where their strengths are on the field and give them a better chance of carving out a future in the NFL.

Mellott is not the only Raider this philosophy is applicable to, apparently.

A notable insider has spotted an intriguing talent at a new position.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Hondo Carpenter, the Raiders appear to be converting defensive lineman and International Pathway player Laki Tasi to offensive guard.

Raiders DL Coach Rob Leonard just told me that they have moved Rugby Player (Part of the NFL International Pathway) Laki Tasi to OG. Don’t get the sense that anything is set in stone. I could see him back at DL, but with that size and athleticism, it makes perfect sense.

— Hondo Carpenter (@HondoCarpenter) May 28, 2025

There is also the chance that Tasi is an athletic enough player that the Raiders and head coach Pete Carroll see him as a two-way player. Serving as key depth on both the offensive and defensive line would allow Tasi to use his rugby background to his full advantage. It would not be unprecedented for a NFL team to do this, as the Los Angeles Chargers experimented with using defensive lineman Scott Matlock at fullback in certain offensive packages just last season.

“At 6-6, 348 pounds with 34-inch arms, Tasi has very good size and the tools to be a big interior defensive lineman, along with the toughness and makeup to play in the trenches. He possesses a strong and intriguing combination of developmental tools, stature and mindset,” wrote NFL analyst and former Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli.

With this move, the Raiders are giving the intriguing Tasi the chance to see where his NFL future might take him.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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