When the Las Vegas Raiders claimed defensive tackle Jonah Laulu last season, few outside the building expected the 6’5″, 289-pound lineman to become a breakout contributor.
Drafted in the seventh round (234th overall) out of Oklahoma by the Indianapolis Colts, Laulu was waived during the final roster cutdowns before the Raiders, his hometown team, brought him home.
Raiders’ Hidden Gem: Jonah Laulu Making an Early Impact
Two games into the season, Laulu has already made a name for himself as one of the defense’s early standouts. In the Raiders‘ Week 2 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, he delivered a statement performance: four tackles (three for loss), two sacks, and three quarterback hits in just 32 snaps.
That production has placed him in elite company, joining Myles Garrett, Harold Landry, Carl Granderson, Brian Burns, and Byron Young as the only players with three or more sacks through two games.
Granted, Laulu’s first “sack” on Justin Herbert when Herbert scrambled to the right shouldn’t have been credited to him since he didn’t even touch him, but it’s the effort that’s been noticeable.
For Laulu, playing in front of family and friends in the Raiders‘ home opener made the moment even more special. “It was super cool, especially because I had all my family there, they got to come see,” Laulu said after the game. “I have celebrations that I wanted to do, but I zoned out, just super hyped in the moment. It was a really crazy feeling, just to be able to do it here at home again.”
Laulu’s road to this point has been a grind. Before his time at Oklahoma, he spent four years at the University of Hawai’i, where he developed into a versatile defender with length and athleticism. Across his college career, Laulu appeared in 66 games (24 starts), tallying 102 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. His production made him an intriguing late-round pick, but now with the Raiders, he’s showing that his ceiling may be higher than many initially believed.
Raiders Must Unlock Laulu’s Potential with an Expanded Role
What stands out about Laulu’s start is not just the splash plays, but the efficiency with which he’s delivering them. For a Raiders defense already anchored by Maxx Crosby, having an interior presence like Laulu could help balance pass-rush pressure and keep opponents from focusing solely on 98.
Crosby himself has praised Laulu, saying, “I mean he works hard. He’s doing great, he’s young, got a lot of ground tools and he’s just getting better so no one’s surprised he’s playing well,” Crosby said. The veteran edge rusher knows the value of complementary pieces, and Laulu’s ability to collapse the pocket from the middle gives Crosby and Malcolm Koonce more freedom on the edge.
Koonce echoed the sentiment, describing Laulu as a reliable presence on and off the field. “He’s a freak. He’s a great guy to be around, great teammate. On the field he’s a guy you can depend on. He’s gonna do his job,” Koonce said.
Despite the early success, Laulu is keeping his mindset grounded. “Still feel like I haven’t really done much,” he said. “Obviously I’ve made some plays here and there, but I’m still shooting for the sky and trying to make plays every game, get better every day.”
That hunger should be music to the Raiders‘ ears. While he’s already demonstrated flashes of dominance, the reality is Laulu is just scratching the surface.
Vegas native #Raiders, DT Jonah Laulu and CB Kyu Blu Kelly, came up with big plays on primetime and in their hometown, teammates calling them ‘a beast’ and ‘a baller.’
Per Pete Carroll, ‘the homeboys are doing great.’
For head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the next step is clear: find ways to get Laulu on the field.
As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on whether he can sustain this early momentum. If Laulu does, the Raiders may have a budding star on defense.
Raiders 6’5″, 289-Pound 2nd-Year DT is Turning Heads