It hasn't been an easy road for Jackson Powers-Johnson in his first two seasons as a Las Vegas Raider. His career got off to a slow start and has been hampered at various points by injuries, and he had the supreme displeasure of not being one of Pete Carroll's favorites in Year 2.
But the talent that Powers-Johnson possesses jumps off the screen. He's a fan favorite in Raider Nation for a reason, and he seems to be coveted by the new regime as a no-brainer first-teamer in the early portion of the offseason program, as he well should be.
However, Powers-Johnson also has his share of detractors. Right now, he looks like the starter at right guard, but not everyone is buying that things will stay that way. In fact, one former Raider has a pretty wild take about Powers-Johnson that will only age well under one condition.
Only reason Las Vegas Raiders should not start Jackson Powers-Johnson is injuries
Ryan Hoag, a former professional wide receiver who was the Silver and Black's "Mr. Irrelevant" pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, and now works as a member of the media, was a guest on Jesse Merrick's Silver and Black Sports Network show. When Hoag was asked if he had any hot takes, he dropped a sizzler.
"Jackson Powers-Johnson will not start a single game this year for the Raiders," Hoag said. "Trey Zuhn, I think he's going to take over at that right guard position. Spencer Burford is fine, right? He doesn't really move the needle much, but he's comfortable in Kubiak's system, so I feel like he's a solidified guard that's going to be at the position.
"I think Caleb Rogers will be similar to Jackson. Those guys will be kind of the swing guys that they'll jump in. But I really think Trey Zuhn is going to be our starting right guard and Caleb Rogers will probably be our sixth man, and Jackson Powers-Johnson will be our seventh."
A world certainly exists where Powers-Johnson doesn't start a single game for Las Vegas this year. To me, that world is only one in which Powers-Johnson suffers an injury, because if he's benched for lack of ability, that is not a world that I'd want to live in as a supporter of the Raiders.
Powers-Johnson is probably the most talented interior offensive lineman that the team has, this side of Tyler Linderbaum. His athleticism and ability to move should pay dividends in Klint Kubiak's offense, which covets offensive linemen with such attributes.
Hoag, however, doesn't just see Powers-Johnson struggling to stay healthy, as he has in the past, or losing a close battle to another player. He has the third-year pro slotted in as the fourth-best guard on the team, not even the first one to rotate in should someone else go down or need replacing.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and Hoag lasted several years in the NFL and other professional football leagues. He has forgotten more about football than most readers or I will ever know. But this just feels like a bridge too far, even for a hot take. It doesn't feel well-versed or based in much reality.
Time will tell if Hoag is correct. I'd bet that, by kickoff in Week 1, he'll have been proven wrong, injury notwithstanding. But if Hoag does end up being correct, Kubiak and his staff will likely face the fury of Raider Nation. And this fanbase was right last year about the decisions up front being questionable.
Hopefully, Powers-Johnson stays healthy and performs like the first-round talent that he was coming out of college. And if he does sustain an injury or doesn't play for whatever reason, let's at least hope that the call is made with some good reasoning and actually pays off, unlike last year.
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