The Las Vegas Raiders will kick off the 2025 season with a clash against the New England Patriots, and they will be hoping to get off on the right foot by picking up a victory in their season-opener. In order to accomplish that, the Raiders are going to need to receive a strong performance from their new-look offensive line.
Las Vegas made changes across the board this offseason, and that included along their offensive line. One guy who is returning for his second year with the team is Jackson Powers-Johnson, but he will be playing at right guard instead of left guard, which is where he played last season. When asked about his recent position change, Powers-Johnson made his thoughts on the move extremely clear.
Jackson Powers-Johnson Dishes on Position Change with the Raiders
Powers-Johnson was selected by the Raiders in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he quickly earned a starting job at left guard on their offensive line. Powers-Johnson started 14 of the 15 games he played in, and while he endured some growing pains along the way, he showed off the potential that helped the front office decide to draft him.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, the Raiders decided to try switching Powers-Johnson to the center position. He ended up losing a battle for the starting job, though, with Jordan Meredith being tabbed starter at this spot. Instead, Powers-Johnson will be moving to right guard, with Dylan Parham moving back to left guard, which is where he started all 17 games as a rookie back in 2022.
The Raiders’ decision to play musical chairs along their offensive line may seem a bit confusing, but with Parham struggling last season, it makes sense to get him back to the spot he’s most comfortable with. And while Powers-Johnson may have missed out on the starting center gig, it sounds like he’s perfectly fine slotting in at right guard moving forward.
“I was training both the whole offseason, I really wasn’t focusing on one (position),” Jackson-Powers said on “The Silver & Black Show.” “The media had me pegged into one position, but we just got into training camp and first couple days, you go and you kind of see where do our best guys need to be … Me moving to right guard, right side is comfortable for me, I’ll play anything, and I think the coaching staff knows that I can do that.”
Raiders Hoping New Offensive Line Configuration Works Out in 2025
GettyJackson Powers-Johnson opened up on moving to right guard on the Raiders’ offensive line for the 2025 campaign
Moving Powers-Johnson to right guard wasn’t exactly the Raiders’ initial plan, but his versatility to line up at all three positions on the interior offensive line is precisely why the team used a second-round pick on him. Powers-Johnson wasn’t necessarily bad at left guard, but the team will surely be hoping that flipping him to the other side of the line helps him take a step forward in 2025.
Receiving good play from the offensive line is going to be more important than ever for Las Vegas now that star rookie running back Ashton Jeanty is manning the backfield. Look for Powers-Johnson and the rest of the Raiders’ offensive line to get off to a good start when they line up against the Patriots on Sunday afternoon.
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