The Las Vegas Raiders‘ right guard job is up for grabs. Here’s a look at the top contenders, key storylines, and what to watch as training camp unfolds.
Las Vegas opened training camp Tuesday, and the most consequential position fight on the roster might not involve a quarterback or a pass rusher. It’s at right guard, where Jackson Powers-Johnson’s grip on a starting job looks shakier than it did back in the spring.
The favorite isn’t a lock anymore
Powers-Johnson and Spencer Burford went into offseason work as the presumed front-runners at guard, and Powers-Johnson looked like he had a slight edge based on OTA reports. That edge has narrowed. Raiders insider Jesse Merrick said this week that the word inside the building is that Powers-Johnson’s roster status is shakier than expected heading into camp.
This isn’t about talent. It’s about discipline
Nobody is questioning what Powers-Johnson can do physically. The concern Merrick raised is more basic: can he stay on the field and avoid the flags that have followed him? The third-year lineman needs to prove he can play clean, healthy football, and that’s a different kind of test than beating someone across from him in a drill.
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It’s not just a two-man race
Third-round rookie Trey Zuhn III and second-year lineman Caleb Rogers give new offensive line coach Rick Dennison real options beyond the incumbents. Both are considered versatile enough to play left guard too, so whatever shakes out at right guard could end up reshuffling the whole interior line.
Jackson Powers-Johnson seems to know what’s at stake
He was one of the few veterans who showed up early, reporting with the rookies last week instead of waiting for the rest of the team. He’s also never said the wrong thing publicly, a streak that goes back to last season under former coach Pete Carroll. Put those together, and it looks like a player trying to control the two things he actually can: his effort and his message.
This battle exists because of depth, not desperation
Position battles usually happen for one of two reasons: a team doesn’t have enough good players, or it has too many. This is the second kind. Dennison has five linemen worth developing: Powers-Johnson, Burford, Rogers, Zuhn and Jordan Meredith, all competing for spots on what’s expected to be a nine-man group. If the season started today, Powers-Johnson and Burford would probably be the starters. The fact that the season doesn’t start today, and that camp still has to sort this out, tells you how real the competition is.
A final observation…
None of this means the Raiders have soured on Powers-Johnson. It means the new staff isn’t handing out jobs based on draft status or reputation. Burford’s experience makes him a logical fallback, but if he starts over the more talented player, it raises questions about whether the staff values familiarity over upside.
The more likely outcome is that Powers-Johnson wins the job—if he does what Merrick and the coaching staff are asking. Stay healthy, cut down the penalties, and let the tape speak for itself. That’s his path at camp.
*Top Photo: Getty Images