Silver And Black Pride on Jonah Laulu
From the article
Logging 764 snaps over the course of 17 games (15 starts) in 2025, the Sin City-native had a productive Year 2 totaling 51 tackles (eight behind the line of scrimmage), four sacks, and five pass deflections — all career highs. However, the quarterback takedown in a 20-10 victory over the visiting Tennessee Titans in Week 6 was the final sack of Laulu's tally this past year. Sustaining sack production throughout the course of a 17-week regular season is a must for the defender.
STACKED’s take
Year 2 breakout stalled mid-season; run defense and sack consistency remain concerns.
Laulu logged 764 snaps over 17 games (15 starts) in 2025, posting career highs of 51 tackles (8 TFL), 4 sacks, and 5 pass deflections—a significant jump from his 2024 rookie year (475 snaps, 35 tackles, 1 sack, 3 pass deflections). At 6-foot-5 and 289 pounds, he has the size and versatility to line up at defensive end in Las Vegas' base 3-4 alignment and shift inside to tackle in even-man fronts under defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. The 3-4 front transition will help insulate Laulu from heavy double teams by creating confusion and limiting offensive line combination blocks, allowing him to leverage his quickness off the snap and length as both a rusher and run stopper. Laulu exemplifies an effort-based defensive philosophy under defensive line coach Travis Smith and coordinator Rob Leonard, arriving with 'a chip on his shoulder' after being waived by Indianapolis and showcasing 'an exceptionally high motor and relentlessness.' While 'not on the gold standard level of Maxx Crosby,' his grit allows him to overcome technical shortcomings and stay on plays to chase down quarterbacks and ballcarriers; he accumulated 4 sacks in the first six weeks of 2025. However, sack production collapsed after Week 6, finishing with only 4 sacks despite accumulating 11 pressures, 2 hurries, and 7 quarterback hits per Pro Football Reference—the source invokes Maxx Crosby's phrase 'More is required,' signaling that sustaining sack production throughout a 17-week season is essential and Laulu fell short in the latter half. Laulu charted 10 missed tackles in 2025, tying him with safety Jeremy Chinn for the fourth most on the Raiders—a 'stark statistic' that identifies run-defense deficiencies including pad level, hand usage, and lower-body strength as integral areas for continued development. Teams will attack him as a weak link against the run if he doesn't prove to be a stout run stopper. Laulu is in Year 3 of a four-year, $4.124-plus million rookie contract signed by Indianapolis, earning a modest $1.075 million in 2026 and $1.19 million in 2027 before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2028; continuing his upward trajectory as a viable contributor has fiscal impact, as he can earn vastly more with stacked productive seasons this coming year and next.
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