It has been another disappointing year for Las Vegas Raiders guard Jackson Powers-Johnson. The former second-round pick was clearly in the doghouse with last year’s coaching staff, but was able to win over the new one and earned a Week 1 starting spot.
However, injuries and poor play have derailed his season. Powers-Johnson was recently benched for Caleb Rogers, and it remains to be seen if he’ll get another chance to start this season. Rogers hasn’t played well, so it’s possible, but the Raiders may decide it’s just better to move on.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Powers-Johnson could be on the trade block ahead of the upcoming deadline.
“Johnson-Powers was benched in Week 6 and would probably welcome a change at this point,” Fowler wrote. “Several teams are combing the guard market, and Powers-Johnson wouldn’t cost as much as the marquee names. A Day 3 pick swap might get something done, allowing the Raiders to improve positioning on the back of the draft order.”
Trading a former second-round pick for a Day 3 pick swap isn’t ideal, but general manager John Spytek wasn’t the one who drafted him. At this rate, Powers-Johnson may just get cut in the offseason, so getting something for him could be the best-case scenario. Fowler predicts that there’s a 35% chance that the young guard gets traded. He also noted that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers could be a fit for him.
Powers-Johnson Has Regressed Since Rookie Season
As a rookie, Powers-Johnson looked like a potential long-term starter. He had some careless penalties, but he was violent as a blocker.
The Raiders also gave him a chance to play center, which seems to be his better position. Since then, Powers-Johnson has been injured and just hasn’t played as well. ESPN’s Matt Bowen broke down Powers-Johnson’s struggles.
“Powers-Johnson has the traits to play both center and guard, and he had a 93.3% pass block win rate as a rookie in 2024,” Bowen wrote. “However, he was limited to eight games last season due to an ankle injury, and his 2026 tape shows a regression as a run blocker (career-low 62.7% run block win rate). Teams that had a high draft grade on Powers-Johnson could try to make a move here.”
Should Powers-Johnson Move Back to Center?
If a team trades for Powers-Johnson, they may want to consider moving him back to center. He won the Rimington Trophy at Oregon, which is given to college football’s best center.
The Raiders always saw him as a guard, but perhaps some teams saw him as a center. There’s a reason the team never really gave him a fair chance to play center, but it’s hard to know why. With Tyler Linderbaum under contract, Powers-Johnson has no chance to play center in Las Vegas.
There are plenty of teams that could use an upgrade at center. Powers-Johnson really seemed like he had a chance to be a very good player for the Raiders, but it just hasn’t worked out. A fresh start might be what he needs. He’s been given the runaround by multiple coaching staffs, and going to a new team without the pressure of being a second-round pick could help unlock his potential.
Raiders Considering Trading Former Second-Round Pick: Report