Sep 14, 2024; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle JJ Pegues (89) against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons during the first half at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Raiders' John Spytek Sounds Off About JJ Pegues

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated May 2, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Although the Las Vegas Raiders spent a vast majority of their draft picks bolstering their offense, that doesn't mean they neglected defense. For starters, their defense is already their strong suit, led by Maxx Crosby.

One of the biggest reasons their defense was so underwhelming last season was due to injury; most notably, Christian Wilkins was only on the field for a little bit of time, and even Crosby was dealing with some injuries as well.

The Raiders overhauled their offense, which is something they needed to do if they wanted to turn their franchise around. With that being said, it's okay that their first defensive player wasn't taken until the third round, and out of their top six picks, only one of them was for their defense.

After their selection of Darien Porter in the third round, they'd follow that up with Tonka Hemingway in the fourth round, they began the sixth round with JJ Pegues, and ultimately finished the draft with their selection of Cody Lindenberg in the seventh round.

Some of these players have the potential to be some of the biggest steals of the draft, especially Pegues on day three, who is an interesting chess piece to add on defense on offense. John Spytek took part in an interview with Carter Owen, Digital Content Associate, for Raiders.com and he opened up about the strategies the Raiders used in the draft and Pegue's traits.

"He's a great kid," Spytek said. "We brought him in here on a top 30 visit. He was part of our Top Golf night and just a fun, good-natured person who loves to play football."

Pegues is an interesting player to think about on the Raiders, as he's a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line as well as a wildcat quarterback. In 2024, he had 42 total tackles as well as 3.5 sacks. He also carried the ball 21 times for 69 yards and seven touchdowns, his longest rush going for ten yards.

They'll already have Ashton Jeanty and Raheem Mostert to depend on in the ground game, but I could see Pete Carroll subbing Pegues in for a special package on the goal line. He also has a history of playing tight end, and while I don't think they'll use him for catches when they have Brock Bowers, he'll certainly be an asset in the blocking department.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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