One of the primary goals for the Raiders this offseason was to improve the offensive line. While it certainly wasn’t a bad unit last year, they had gotten old at a few spots and it was time for reinforcements.
But after passing on an offensive tackle in Round 1, the Raiders decided to use their next two selections on the offensive line. In Round 2, they selected Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon), a dominant center from the Pac-12. The expectation is that he’ll move to guard in the NFL and should contribute right away.
In a recent article by Field Yates of ESPN, he wrote about 10 players who were drafted outside the top 32 that will have a big impact right away. That list included Powers-Johnson, who was widely viewed as a first-round talent for most of the draft process:
Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Award last season as the best center in college football, but he was announced during the draft as a guard and has the skill set to win a starting spot there even after the recent veteran additions of Cody Whitehair and Andrus Peat in Las Vegas.
Coach Antonio Pierce has never been shy about wanting to control the game offensively through a power-rushing attack, and JPJ’s mauling nature will fit that seamlessly.
The Raiders needed to get a little nastier on the offensive line, and Powers-Johnson can help them there. Look for him to win one of the starting guard spots and to be an immediate improvement from what they had last season.
