The spirit of competition ran rampant through the Las Vegas Raiders' training camp and extended into the preseason. The most important roster battle was at right guard, where the new coaching staff was deciding between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Alex Cappa.
While Raider Nation knew what side they were on, the coaching staff wanted to give the $11 million veteran every chance to supplant the All-Rookie interior offensive lineman from last season. However, Cappa missed the first two preseason games with a rib injury.
On Saturday, Cappa returned to the lineup, and for the first time, both he and Powers-Johnson were available at the same time. Thankfully, it seems like the competition is finally over after the preseason finale.
Jackson Powers-Johnson should easily be Raiders' starting right guard
Against the Arizona Cardinals in the third and final preseason game, Powers-Johnson started over Cappa. He played exclusively with the first group for the second-straight game, and Cappa came in to play with Aidan O'Connell and the twos.
Cappa did grade slightly higher, according to Pro Football Focus, but this marginal difference can easily be explained by Powers-Johnson going up against primarily backups, whereas Cappa faced a mixture of backups and third-stringers.
Powers-Johnson was far more effective last year in Las Vegas than Cappa was with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals' interior offensive line is still a mess this season, so Cincinnati not wanting Cappa back should tell Raiders fans what they need to know.
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When it comes to upside, Powers-Johnson is an easy choice once again, as the young player still has higher levels to reach in his NFL career. Cappa, who was one of the worst-graded guards in the league last season, has likely already reached his peak and is on the downslope in his career.
John Spytek and Tom Brady surely have a soft spot for Cappa as the three teamed up for a Super Bowl victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. However, they had to do what makes sense for the Raiders right now.
Luckily, on Sunday afternoon, Carroll confirmed to reporters that he would start Powers-Johnson at right guard in Week 1 of the regular season against the New England Patriots. Now, the team will look to get cohesion with their starting offensive line before the real thing starts on September 7.