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Raiders’ OL Jackson Powers-Johnson Reveals Position He Prefers to Play

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Levi Dombro | Last updated May 21, 2025 2:06 PM ET

While general manager Tom Telesco did not last long with the Las Vegas Raiders, he did provide the franchise with several cornerstone players. Unfortunately, he was attached at the hip with head coach Antonio Pierce, so he was unable to continue building the program in his image.

Still, he grabbed three starters in the first three rounds of his only NFL Draft, nabbing Brock Bowers, Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze with consecutive picks. All three of these players were key contributors for the Raiders last year and showed hope for a promising future despite winning just four games all season.

Powers-Johnson missed the early part of the season, but settled into the starting lineup at both guard and center during the 2024 campaign. Many have tried to predict which position he will play this season or what he prefers, but Powers-Johnson set the record straight on a recent episode of "The Rush with Maxx Crosby."

"Center, easy." Powers-Johnson said. "I want to take that step mentally, as a center, so that any look that presents to us, I can diagnose it and help Geno (Smith) get into that. I think that's so much fun and why I love center so much."

New head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek did not address the center position this offseason, so it appears that Powers-Johnson will start once again in the middle of the offensive line. He won the Rimington Trophy in college for the being the nation's best center, and he will attempt to bring that prowess to the Silver and Black once again in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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