Las Vegas Raiders Defensive Tackles are Shining

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders defense this season wants to be a good one and at the top of all the defenses in the National Football League. The Raiders want to be that force that no offense wants to see. They always want the opposing team to feel them and be like, that is one team we do not want to go up against again. The defense was the strong point of the team last season, and they want to get strong going into the 2025 season.

The Raiders are set up nicely up front. They got a good defensive line, and that is going to be the key to this defense because the back seven has a lot of new pieces, and they are still looking for what we are going to get from that group. Up front, the Raiders are led by two great players at their respective positions. That is defensive end Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Adam Butler. They are the ones who are going to be setting the tone for the Raiders' defense.

The good thing that the Silver and Black have up front on defense is depth. That will be a major thing this season. If you can keep players fresh, well, they all do a good job doing their job, and it is going to give the Raiders the advantage. That is where the team can be the most dangerous, especially at the end of games. Getting after the quarterback has been one thing the defensive line wants to do better this season as well.

Our Hondo Carpenter and Ezekiel Trezevant talked about Adam Butler and Thomas Booker IV on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

Thomas Booker

"He [Booker IV] looked very good after only being with the team for 48 hours," said Carpenter. "I was surprised by him. I think this young man has an absolute shot at being the other starting tackle next to Adam Butler. I am very impressed with Thomas Booker."

"He was defnitely a presence in the middle. You can see that and that is what you want at defensive tackle," said Trezevant. "That is what you want. Somebody that can stand in there and hold down the inside."