A converted tight end who became a disruptive defensive tackle and part-time goal-line rusher at Ole Miss, JJ Pegues brings rare versatility to the Raiders' defensive line.
JJ Pegues is a defensive tackle the Raiders drafted in the sixth round in 2025, capping an unusual college path that started at tight end for Auburn before he transferred to Ole Miss and became one of the SEC's most productive interior defenders. He even moonlighted as a short-yardage running back in college, a rare wrinkle for a defensive lineman.
Path to the league
Pegues began his career at Auburn, playing tight end as a freshman in 2020 before converting to defensive tackle in 2021. He transferred to Ole Miss for the 2022 through 2024 seasons and was selected by the Raiders in the sixth round, 180th overall, in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
At Ole Miss, Pegues totaled 110 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks over three seasons, earning All-SEC third-team honors and the Chucky Mullins Award in 2024. He also doubled as a short-yardage rushing weapon, scoring seven rushing touchdowns on 26 carries in his final college season.
2025 season recap
As a rookie, Pegues appeared in 9 games for the Raiders without a start, recording 11 combined tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth roughly $4.47 million after being drafted.
Sources
- Wikipedia: JJ Pegues
- Raiders.com: JJ Pegues
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
9 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | raiders | 9 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Ole Miss
- Hometown
- Oxford, MS, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
