Among all the question marks the Las Vegas Raiders had going into the 2025 season, the offensive line did not feel like a big one. Sure, there were overall improvements needed, but the configuration of the starting five seemed obvious, barring injuries that would change the equation.
Then, training camp started, and presumed starting center Jackson Powers-Johnson was working with the second team while guard Jordan Meredith got reps with the starters at center. Since then, with right guard Alex Cappa missing time, Powers-Johnson has worked in as the starting right guard.
Powers-Johnson is a versatile interior lineman, and he is generally viewed as a future All-Pro at either center or guard. Most believe he is an obvious starter, wherever he settles in at, but the team's practices at training camp have called this into question.
Pete Carroll invites unideal scenario for the Raiders' offensive line
The Raiders had their first padded practice on Sunday since last week's preseason opener. Cappa missed the exhibition game against the Seattle Seahawks for an undisclosed reason, and on Sunday, Powers-Johnson was not with the starting group either after participating earlier in practice.
This worried Raider Nation, as it seemed like Powers-Johnson was further losing his grip on a spot in the starting lineup. However, head coach Pete Carroll later confirmed that both players are dealing with a rib injury.
Las Vegas is sure to tilt toward the run offensively with Carroll leading the charge, Chip Kelly calling the plays and star rookie Ashton Jeanty in tow. So, there is a natural concern about the offensive line and all the uncertainty about who will be suiting up where.
Luckily, there is still plenty of time for the Raiders' offensive line to sort itself out before Week 1. Ideally, though, however it looks, it will be locked in before the season begins so the group can build some continuity.
After Sunday's practice, Nick Walters of KTNV-TV asked Carroll how quickly the starting five offensive linemen have to be figured out. Carroll's response was a bit concerning and paints a less-than-ideal scenario for the Silver and Black.
"We got a long time. We’ve got a month before we start playing real games,” Carroll said. "And maybe we don't figure it out by the start of the season, and we're rotating in. It just needs to declare when it declares."
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Carroll's response was fair in a way, and he naturally found the positive in a fluid situation for such a critical unit.
"It's good for those guys to be battling, and knowing, looking around, saying 'somebody else is gonna take my spot if I don't play well on every play that I get.' That's the mentality we're looking for," Carroll said.
Even the faint idea that the Raiders could be rotating offensive linemen in and out when the season starts, however, is disconcerting. The tackle spots, with Kolton Miller on the left side and DJ Glaze on the right, feel locked in.
The three interior spots, with Powers-Johnson, Meredith, Cappa and Dylan Parham as the primary candidates to start, seem to be far less settled right now. Parham and Meredith do seem like the front-runners, so it may come down to Powers-Johnson and Cappa for the starting right guard spot.
Fans may ultimately look back on the current consternation about the Raiders' starting offensive line as much ado about nothing, and pure training camp fodder. But Carroll only fueled that concern on Sunday, when he could have chosen different words to calm the waters of an ongoing competition.