Despite showing real promise last season, the Las Vegas Raiders seem to be souring on Jackson Powers-Johnson. The 2024 second-round pick wasn’t drafted by Pete Carroll or John Spytek, so there’s no loyalty to him.
He was supposed to be the starting center, but the Raiders decided he was a better fit at guard. He started in Week 1, but missed Week 2 due to a concussion. In Week 3, the team started Alex Cappa over him.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes the Raiders should consider trading Powers-Johnson and getting some value out of him if they’re not going to play him.
Interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was a second-round pick in 2024 and started 14 games for the Las Vegas Raiders as a rookie,” Knox wrote. “That was under the old regime, though, and the new regime is clearly unimpressed with the Oregon product.
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.
Knox believes the Raiders could potentially get a third-round pick for Powers-Johnson in a trade.
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,” Knox added. If the Raiders disagree, they should send him to a team with a need at center.
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.
Are Raiders Really Out on JPJ?
Carroll did note that the reason Powers-Johnson didn’t start in Week 3 was due to the Raiders playing on a short week and thinking continuity with Cappa was the better move. Clearly, that was a mistake, as Cappa had a rough game.
However, whether or not the Raiders are truly out on Powers-Johnson will be clearer after Week 4. If Cappa starts again, that means Las Vegas simply thinks that he’s better. That doesn’t mean the team has to trade him. Jordan Meredith hasn’t been overly impressive at center, so perhaps Powers-Johnson takes over that role again at some point.
Regardless, it makes a lot more sense to have him on the field and give him reps. He can still get better, while Cappa is who he is at this point in his career.
Raiders Have 29th-Ranked OL in NFL
Even if Powers-Johnson returns and is great, it doesn’t change the fact that the Raiders‘ offensive line as a whole is struggling. Left tackle Kolton Miller has been the only capable starter through three games.
Pro Football Focus ranked all of the offensive lines ahead of Week 4, and had the Raiders at 29.
The Raiders‘ front-five surrendered 19 pressures, including three sacks, on 34 pass plays against the Commanders,” Zoltan Buday wrote. “The unit’s 67.6 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating ranked second worst in Week 3.
Right guard Alex Cappa gave up seven pressures and earned a 24.5 PFF pass-blocking grade. He allowed pressure on 19.4% of pass plays, which was the worst rate among guards in Week 3.”
Raiders Urged to Trade Former High Draft Pick Who Has Fallen out of Favor