Latest news with #Jackson Powers-Johnson
Yahoo
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders training camp notebook 7/31: Jackson Powers-Johnson switching positions again
Thursday the Raiders returned to the practice field after a day off. During that day off, one of the big questions was what would be happening at the center position where Jackson Powers-Johnson and Jordan Meredith were battling. Last practice, Meredith was running with the first team and JPJ was working with the second team. This after JPJ had been the first team center throughout the offseason and the first week of training camp. So, the question was if Meredith's rise was just an experiment or a changing of the centers, as it were. It turned out to be even more than that. Not only was Meredith again the first team center, but JPJ had moved to right guard with the first team. And remained there throughout practice, including in pass rush one-on-ones. It's Alex Cappa who was bumped out of the first team and down to second team with this move. Making for the first change in first team personnel for the Raiders offensive line this offseason and camp. The thing about this move is it may have little to do with Jackson Powers-Johnson and more to do with the other players on the line. It's clear the Raiders want JPJ as a starter. But they also really like what they see from Meredith. Pete Carroll spoke very highly of him on Tuesday and his linemate Kolton Miller did today as well. "You can see the steps that he's taken," Kolton Miller said of Meredith. "He's been in the league for a while now and now he's really showing up. He showed up last year that's for sure. When he had a chance he stepped up. I've seen him progress and it's really cool. I hope he continues impressing and see where it goes." If you listened to what Adam Butler said on Tuesday, you'd see he too called this out, saying that he was really excited about Meredith and that JPJ would be an All Pro guard at some point. Today we learned that was no slip of speech. While watching the pass rush drills, you kinda see why the team would think Cappa is the odd man out in this competition. Maxx Crosby absolutely destroyed Cappa on one rep. Crosby put a move on him, knocked him off balance, and got into the backfield in a flash. And, yeah, Crosby can tend to do that to guys. But it really shouldn't be that easy. And with Cappa having gotten beat like that a lot last season in Cincinnati, that's scary. Where Meredith played well last season was at guard. But as Pete Carroll said this week, Meredith's size is a better fit for center. Meanwhile JPJ just looks like he belongs at guard. His versatility as a Rimington Award winning center at Oregon just adds to his value. As a rookie, JPJ played just as much at left guard as he did center. He did some good work at left guard where Kolton Miller worked alongside him. "Physicality, emotion, finish to him," Miller said of JPJ's work at guard. "It's been awesome to see. . . Wherever he's placed, watch out." This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders camp notebook 7/31: Jackson Powers-Johnson switching positions
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders puzzling offensive line shuffle takes another weird turn
The Las Vegas Raiders have shuffled their starting offensive line throughout training camp, but it took a weird turn on Friday. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders had Jackson Powers-Johnson with the second team at right guard during Friday's practice. Dylan Parham and Alex Cappa served as the starters at guard for the first team on Friday, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic. Powers-Johnson, who started 14 games during his rookie campaign in 2024 and was solid, was initially competing for the starting center spot with Jordan Meredith in camp. However, the coaching staff has moved him to guard in recent days, and it looks like he was demoted to the second team on Friday. Though Las Vegas could be shuffling the offensive line to give reps to the depth piece, it's odd that Powers-Johnson is constantly switching between the starters and backups. The 22-year-old seemed like a lock to be a starter on the offensive line, but he could be competing for a spot on the unit. In 15 games last year, Powers-Johnson played 535 snaps at guard and 421 snaps at center. The Oregon product allowed just two sacks and 23 quarterback pressures, and was also a stout run blocker. A second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Powers-Johnson is expected to be a future building block on the Raiders' offensive line, but the recent rotations on the group signal that he could be fighting for a chance to start on the interior. MORE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS NEWS Christian Wilkins' former Dolphins teammate calls 'BS' on Raiders rumors Analyst's Raiders trade proposal would land Terry McLaurin from Commanders Raiders beat writer explains possible reason behind Las Vegas' unexpected offensive line shuffle Geno Smith already in midseason form at Raiders training camp
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Raiders beat writer explains possible reason behind Las Vegas' unexpected offensive line shuffle
All offseason long, offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was expected to be the Las Vegas Raiders' starting center in his second season. The expectation made sense considering JPJ was a center in college and was solid at the position in his rookie campaign that first saw him play left guard before a switch to center and then a return to left guard to close out the season. In all, Powers-Johnson posted a Pro Football Focus run-blocking grade of 70.4 and a pass-blocking grade of 68.3 while giving up just two sacks and 23 total pressures over 633 pass-blocking snaps. However, despite all that, fellow offensive lineman Jordan Meredith has been rotating with Powers-Johnson at center in practice. And, on Thursday, Powers-Johnson played at right guard and Meredith was at center, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That setup left veteran Alex Cappa on the outside looking in when it comes to the starting offensive line after he was considered the favorite for a guard spot. Bonsignore has a possible explanation for why the Raiders are taking a look at a pairing of JPJ and Meredith at guard and center. "I think it's more that they feel Jordan (Meredith) profiles better at center than guard and that JPJ can be a pro bowl level player at either spot," he wrote. Meredith made eight starts in 2024, playing at both guard spots. He was a pleasant surprise for Las Vegas, posting strong Pro Football Focus grades of 75.7 in pass-blocking and 78.4 in run-blocking. Meredith didn't give up a single sack and surrendered just nine pressures in 399 pass-blocking snaps. That said, Meredith has played zero regular-season snaps at the position during his three-year career, so center is certainly new to him. Cappa, who once looked like he'd earn a starting role earlier this offseason, was signed to a two-year, $11.01 million deal in free agency. The signing was a bit odd at the time given the fact that he wasn't really an upgrade over anyone the Raiders had vying for a starting guard role. Cappa is coming off a terrible season that saw him give up eight sacks and 51 total pressures while also garnering PFF grades of 39.7 in pass-blocking and 54.9 in run-blocking. If the JPJ-Meredith combo from Thursday's practice holds, the Raiders' starting offensive line from left to right tackle would be Kolton Miller, Dylan Parham, Meredith, JPJ and DJ Glaze. MORE LAS VEGAS RAIDERS NEWS Geno Smith already in midseason form at Raiders camp Raiders looking to extend another veteran after Kolton Miller deal
