Raiders OL Jackson Powers-Johnson leaves practice early with trainer, and the timing could not be worse
The Las Vegas Raiders will need Jackson Powers-Johnson, but Caleb Rogers can get the job done as well.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have a significant development in their right guard competition after offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson left Monday’s training camp practice early with a trainer. For a player already fighting to lock down a starting spot, the timing could not be worse.
Coming into the season, many thought Powers-Johnson would have his starting role secured. That hasn’t been the case. Despite taking most of the first-team reps, offensive line coach Klint Kubiak has already stated that Powers-Johnson is not a lock and that a genuine competition exists between him and second-year lineman Caleb Rogers.
The Raiders drafted Powers-Johnson in the second round three years ago. In his rookie year, he played center and played well. Last season, he moved to left guard and was just okay, finishing with 14 blown blocks in seven games, per Sports Info Solutions.
The biggest knocks on him have been his inability to stay healthy, inconsistency, and penalties. Now he’s trying to win the starting right guard job against Rogers, a former third-round pick who can play pretty much every interior position on the offensive line.
Why this matters so much for Jackson Powers-Johnson
Leaving practice early with a trainer suggests Powers-Johnson is likely dealing with an injury. If he misses time, Rogers wins the battle by default. And if Rogers performs well, Powers-Johnson may never get his spot back. That happens all the time in the NFL.
Powers-Johnson comes off as the kind of player who would be the ultimate Raider if he left. What does that mean? Oftentimes when Raiders players leave without living up to their potential, they end up going to other teams and becoming close to star players or actually reaching their ceiling. Powers-Johnson definitely gives off that vibe. The potential is there. He can be one of the best offensive linemen in the entire league, but he’s yet to prove anything.
Yes, he has had three different head coaches, three coaching staffs, and three offensive schemes in three years. But he should still show better consistency. The injuries are a real issue.
The Raiders are prepared with solid depth
For Las Vegas, the silver lining is that the depth along the interior offensive line is some of the best the franchise has had in a long time. Beyond Caleb Rogers, the Raiders also have rookie Trey Zuhn and Jordan Meredith, who played guard in 2024 despite spending the previous season at center. That kind of versatility gives the coaching staff options if Powers-Johnson misses extended time.
Still, this is not the situation you want to see. A player who has been through a ton of injuries leaving practice early with a trainer usually means he’s hurt. We don’t know that for sure, and we’ll probably hear more from Kubiak or someone else on the coaching staff soon.
For now, Rogers is getting valuable reps with the first-team unit, and he’s already been rotating in with the ones throughout camp. This is his time to really shine and show what he can do. How this battle shakes out will be one of the more important storylines to watch as the Raiders push toward the regular season.
