Despite being an interior offensive lineman, Jackson Powers-Johnson was widely regarded as a first-round talent in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, a variety of concerns pushed him down the draft board, so the Las Vegas Raiders got tremendous value when they selected him in the second round.
An injury cost Powers-Johnson some time during the preseason, as well as the first two games of his rookie year. However, he started the final 14 games of the season, but he was shuffled around the Raiders' offensive line quite a bit.
He started five games at left guard before center Andre James went down with an injury. Powers-Johnson won the 2023 Rimington Trophy, which is given to the best center in college football, so he forced then-head coach Antonio Pierce's hand to move him over. After six starts at center, Powers-Johnson moved back to left guard for three more games to end his rookie season after James returned to action.
Jackson Powers-Johnson has clear path to becoming one of the NFL's best centers
Mastering one position on the offensive line is hard enough for an NFL rookie, but Powers-Johnson had to work at two. The Raiders' long-term plan was always for Powers-Johnson to be their starting center, and the release of Andre James this offseason paved that path perfectly.
Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 centers in the NFL. Powers-Johnson landed in the middle tier at No. 17, but his path to being regarded as one of the best at the position could not be more clear.
"Although Powers-Johnson’s rookie season netted mixed results, that came due in large part to splitting time between center and guard," Cameron wrote. "However, when lined up at center, the first-year blocker looked rather solid, posting a 70.7 PFF overall grade — a top-12 mark at the position. Without Andre James in the picture, Powers-Johnson projects as the Raiders' starting center heading into 2025."
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Being in the middle of the pack after just six starts is something for Powers-Johnson to hang his hat on. Clearly, he impressed more in a fraction of the season than nearly half of NFL centers did in an entire year of work.
Powers-Johnson was considered the best center in college football during his final season at Oregon, so this comes as no surprise. However, the Raiders wanted their five best offensive lineman starting last year, which drove the idea of him playing elsewhere as a rookie.
Now, with a full season at his ideal position, he can fully hone his craft and become one of the best centers in the NFL--possibly for years to come.