Former Ole Miss defensive tackle JJ Pegues, who once played tight end at Auburn, was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft on Saturday.

Pegues, a native of Oxford, Miss., was drafted with the No. 180 overall pick. He played at Auburn in 2020-21 before spending the last three seasons with his hometown team.

The 6-foot-3, 308-pound Pegues totaled 42 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks for the Rebels in 2024. He was also used as a short-yardage and goal-line running back, scoring seven touchdowns on just 21 carries.

Pegues played offense during his freshman year at Auburn, catching seven passes for 57 yards and also rushing for 14 yards on five carries. He moved to defense the next year, then transferred to Ole Miss prior to the 2022 season.

Pegues’ NFL.com draft profile reads in part:

“Compact, thick-hipped defensive lineman with versatility to play multiple positions — including short-yardage running back! Pegues can be hell on wheels when he’s motivated and has it cranked up. He’s quick off the ball but not explosive into first contact as consistently as he could be. He’ll beat reach blocks and double teams if he gets his technique ironed out. He has quicker hands and feet than most opponents he’ll face and has the talent to get to the other side of the line in both phases. He has rush talent and can finish using rare change-of-direction quickness, allowing him to capture pocket-mobile quarterbacks.

“Ole Miss leaned on Pegues as a short-yardage runner on offense, using his power and athleticism to convert at a high rate. He has the potential to become a very productive interior defender but his ceiling and floor will be determined by the consistency of his motor.”