You'd be hard-pressed to find a Las Vegas Raiders fan who doesn't love what Jackson Powers-Johnson brings to the table. But the debate about him within Raider Nation isn't about his talent or abilities; it's about whether he should play guard or center.
Drafted in Round 2 after winning the Rimington Trophy at Oregon, given annually to college football's best center, many felt that Powers-Johnson would be the Raiders' starting center right away. But he played guard as a rookie until an injury thrust him into the spot that he played in college.
Last offseason was tough for Powers-Johnson, as the new coaching staff did him no favors in his development. With a new and more capable set of coaches coming in this year, some fans are hoping that Powers-Johnson will make his long-awaited return to the center position.
But The Athletic's Ted Nguyen doesn't see that happening.
Ted Nguyen gives insight as to why JPJ could play guard for Klint Kubiak
In an incredible piece about the future of the Raiders' offense under new head coach Klint Kubiak, Nguyen touched on several hot-button topics. One of which was his giving insight as to why Powers-Johnson has been stuck at guard so much early in his career.
"Jackson Powers-Johnson has the talent to be the Raiders’ second-best offensive lineman. He wants to play center, but according to a team source, he struggled to make the checks and adjustments at the line of scrimmage required of a center, which is why the Raiders’ two previous staffs didn’t want to play him at center."
Well, wanting to play center and being capable of doing so at a high level in the NFL are two different things. Now, based on how the last two campaigns went in Las Vegas, fans are probably skeptical of the talent evaluation process that has gone on. And they should.
However, Nguyen provided some more concrete reasoning as to why Powers-Johnson may be better suited for the guard position, especially in Kubiak's offense. If his reported shortcomings under previous regimes do hold weight, then Nguyen may be onto something.
"In Kubiak’s system, the center is in charge of setting the protection, pointing to the “Mike” linebacker, and making adjustments at the line. The quarterback has authority to change it, but the center is going make the final call a vast majority of the time. Powers-Johnson’s best fit may be at guard, where he can play freely without the burden of all this responsibility. That makes finding a veteran center a huge priority for the Raiders, especially with the possibility of starting a rookie quarterback."
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Now, Raiders fans would like to see those struggles for themselves, as they were, at least largely, absent during his stint at center as a rookie. Just because Brennan Carroll didn't think Powers-Johnson was a good center doesn't mean he is devoid of talent or incapable of playing there.
That said, two different sets of coaches have now thought he was better suited at guard. It will be interesting to see how the offseason plays out on this front, as Las Vegas' personnel decisions will essentially signal their plans for Powers-Johnson.
If John Spytek goes out and breaks the bank for Tyler Linderbaum, Powers-Johnson will surely play guard. If the front office doesn't address the center position in any meaningful way, then perhaps they're prepared to give the third-year pro another shot at where he thrived with the Oregon Ducks.
Oddly enough, although Powers-Johnson has expressed his desire to play center publicly before on The Rush With Maxx Crosby, he should strike fans as someone who will play whatever position the coaching staff asks him to. It may not be his preference, but he seems more partial to winning.
Ultimately, Powers-Johnson is the second-most talented player on the Raiders' offensive line behind Kolton Miller, and he'll thrive wherever he lines up. Nguyen thinks it'll be guard. A majority of the fanbase wants it to be center. Let's see what Kubiak thinks. And let's see JPJ give it his all either way.