The Detroit Lions have spent the better part of the last three seasons dominating in the trenches, but 2025 has already thrown them a curveball up front.
Longtime center Frank Ragnow surprisingly retired over the summer, and the O-line was forced to reshuffle in response.
Graham Glasgow, while dependable, likely isn’t the long-term answer at center. Rookie guards Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany have definite potential, but Week 1 and 2 already exposed some growing pains. What if the Lions could snag a true center and let Glasgow shift back to his more natural guard role?
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox has Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson listed on his Week 4 Trade Block Big Board, and he also has the Lions as one of two teams who make sense as potential suitors. Let’s discuss.
Jackson Powers-Johnson Would Be a Dream Trade Target for the Detroit Lions Right Now
GettyThe Detroit Lions have been named as potential trade suitors for Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was a second-round pick in 2024 and started 14 games for the Las Vegas Raiders as a rookie. That was under the old regime, though, and the new regime is clearly unimpressed with the Oregon product,” Knox wrote on September 24, adding:
The Raiders replaced Powers-Johnson at center with Jordan Meredith. They also started Alex Cappa over Powers-Johnson at guard in Week 3, even though Powers-Johnson was healthy enough to return from a concussion. Powers-Johnson won the Remington Trophy in 2023 and has done nothing to suggest he can’t be a quality starting center in the NFL. If the Raiders disagree, they should send him to a team with a need at center.
The Lions certainly meet that criteria.
Drafted 44th overall in 2024 by the Raiders, JPJ played in 15 games as a rookie, starting 14 between guard and center, and capped it off with PFWA All-Rookie honors. His athletic testing was almost cartoonish for his size—he had a 32-inch vertical and a sub-5.1 40-yard dash at nearly 330 pounds.
If there’s a coaching staff that could make full use of his skill set, it’s Detroit’s. Offensive line coach Hank Fraley has been a steady hand since the Dan Campbell era began, and new coordinator John Morton has done great work thus far.
Powers-Johnson showed in Eugene—and later in Vegas—that he can handle line calls, reset protections and still drive a 320-pound nose tackle a yard off the ball. For a Lions offense that lives and dies with Jared Goff’s ability to stay clean, an interior line upgrade feels like a necessity.
What Might JPJ’s Trade Value Be?
A conditional fourth-round pick that can become a third-rounder based on playing time would probably be more valuable to the Raiders than the role they currently have for Powers-Johnson,” Knox surmised.
If a fourth- or third-rounder would bring JPJ to Detroit, it would be well worth it. He’s cheap, he’s young and he’s versatile –and there’s a quirky bit in his past that makes Powers-Johnson almost too on-brand for Detroit: he once moonlighted on the defensive line at Oregon.
Sometimes it feels as though he plays with a defensive mentality — attack first, play through the whistle — and that’s perfect for the Lions, a team that prides exudes grit and toughness. It remains to be seen if Las Vegas would part with him, but if the Raiders are selling, the Lions should be the first team on the phone.
Lions Named Top Trade Suitor for Raiders 2024 2nd-Round OL