It was a downright horrendous start to the 2024 NFL season for the Las Vegas Raiders’ offensive line. Truth be told, this was likely the worst unit across the entirety of the National Football League through the first eight weeks of the season. Then, Jackson Powers-Johnson made a position change.
Kolton Miller allowed six sacks from Weeks 1-4, two more than any other offensive lineman league-wide, while Andre James posted the second-worst run grade via Pro Football Focus among all centers with at least 100 snaps between Weeks 1-8. Powers-Johnson wasn’t doing so hot at guard himself, earning a grade south of 60 as both a run- and pass-blocker prior to the move to center in Week 9.
Powers-Johnson joined Maxx Crosby on Crosby’s podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, to talk about his mid-season swap to center.
“We’re playing the Chiefs the first time, and Andre ended up going down. And they were going to put someone else in at center who hadn’t gotten snaps all week at it. And I was just.. I was irate. I was pissed,” Powers-Johnson said.
“So, they’re trying to find someone to start the snap to Gardner, at the time, and I’m like, ‘Nah. Nah, f*ck this.’ So I went up to AP, and I was like, ‘Coach, respectfully, I’m going to play f*cking center. I won the Rimington. I can do this. And I don’t care what you say, I’m going to go play center.’ And he was kind of surprised, he said, ‘Alright.'”
As for the Raiders’ offensive line, things changed in a big way from that point on. Not only did Powers-Johnson strengthen a weak center position, earning grades of 74-plus in both run- and pass-protection, but Jordan Meredith simultaneously relieved a struggling JPJ at guard.
Meredith earned grades north of 70 in both categories from Week 9 onward.
What position will Jackson Powers-Johnson play for the Las Vegas Raiders in the future?
That question is easy–center. And the 22-year-old is quite emphatic about that, too.
“Okay, I’m not giving it back up,” Powers-Johnson said after feeling the joys of returning to center. “I’ll do what the team needs me to do, but I’m going to make them make a hard decision about me playing center, or guard.”
Perhaps it shouldn’t go unnoted that, when Powers-Johnson met Ashton Jeanty, he addressed himself as a center. “I’m Jackson, I’m your center,” the Oregon alum told Sin City’s new running back.
In the meantime, the Raiders’ offensive line should have little trouble picking up where they left off in 2024. With Meredith and Dylan Parham still at guard, and Kolton Miller healthy, things are looking good upfront for Las Vegas.
Oh, and don’t forget D.J. Glaze, either, who helped hold T.J. Watt to zero pressures in his matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was the first time Watt was responsible for zero sacks in a game since the 2018 season.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
Week 1 Will Give Raiders A Chance To Cleanse A Disappointing Chapter