How Jackson Powers-Johnson Can Reach Ceiling With Raiders

The unit had issues beyond just a lack of talent and depth. The unit received questionable coaching, at best, from Las Vegas' most recent coaching staff, especially from their offensive line coach. Injuries to their best players made things significantly worse.

Las Vegas lost Kolton Miller early last season. Jackson Powers-Johnson was injured for much of last season, and the Raiders' biggest offensive threat last season, Brock Bowers, was injured in the first game of the season. All of these things, and more, added stress to the unit and derailed the season.

This offseason, Las Vegas' front office went to work on its coaching staff and roster, adding proven coaches from around the league. After a down 2025 season, in which his positional fit was often questioned, Powers-Johnson noted how the offseason impacted the unit.

“Continuity is always great and it's given me a chance to focus on one position. But I think it's helped us as a group as well that everybody knows who's playing where. But it doesn't really matter, we're all just trying to get better every day and have fun playing football,” Powers-Johnson said following training camp.

Where Powers-Johnson Stands

As the Raiders move forward this season, Powers-Johnson's growth will play a pivotal role in how successful Las Vegas' offensive line will be. His talent is not in question. Everyone knows how well he can play when he is completely focused. It will be the mental side of the game he must improve.

So far in camp, Powers-Johnson has had his moments, playing relatively well overall with a few mistakes. He is far from the only player making mistakes at this point in the season, as the team learns a new way of doing nearly everything. Powers-Johnson has been hard at work.

“I'm just working. I'm trying to get better every day. We are trying to get better every day. It's not about what I do or what I put out there. It's about what we do. It's not one person. It's a whole team. What I try and do, and what we try and do as a team, is step out there and get better at one thing every day,” Powers-Johnson said.

“You know, we're not looking five or six months in the future. I'm not pocket watching. I'm not going to look all over that because that's anxiety and that's something I don't need and that's something we don't need as a team as well."

The Raiders need Powers-Johnson. It is as simple as that. However, they need him playing at the highest level he can play, both physically and mentally. Whether or not he will win the starting position remains to be seen, as many things are still being figured out.

In Thursday's training camp practice, Powers-Johnson rotated starting repetitions with second-year offensive lineman Caleb Johnson. Assistant coach Mike McCoy explained what went into that decision, as the Raiders' coaching staff continues to sort through their depth chart.

"Well like I mentioned earlier, with everything Coach [Kubiak] has put a plan in place and moving guys around, see who can do what, give guys opportunities to show what they can do with different groups, obviously offense and defense there's different personnel groupings and how we're rotating players, so that's going to be a constant change all throughout camp,” McCoy said.

Things are far from figured out, as there is still an open competition for both offensive guard positions. However, whether or not Powers-Johnson wins one of those starting positions will be up to him more than the Raiders' coaching staff. That, in itself, is progress from last season.