The Las Vegas Raiders drafted Jackson Powers-Johnson in last year’s NFL Draft to help bolster an offensive line that desperately needed additional talent. He helped the Raiders in multiple ways during his rookie season and looks to be even more of a contributor this upcoming season.
Powers-Johnson noted that his first full offseason in the National Football League has been a productive one. The talented offensive lineman has improved in many ways this offseason, which should lead to improved play along the offensive line as a whole.
Following Organized Team Activities, Powers-Johnson elaborated on how he has improved since the end of last season.
“Yeah, I’ve hammered down a routine. I’ve lost 10 to15 pounds. Faster, stronger, you get a lot better at technique. I got to throw a lot of that on the coaches. They’ve been absolutely amazing, as I said. So, getting a real offseason at center is huge. I mean, you kind of go back to my college years, I never really had a real offseason at center. I was always playing five or six different positions, so being able to really hone in on one has been awesome. So, I think I’m going to make a great jump and give it the best I got and have some fun with it,” Powers-Johnson said.
Powers-Johnson noted some of the biggest differences between playing guard, like he did for some of last season, and play playing center, which will be his primary position this upcoming season. In Powers-Johnson, the Raiders may have found their center for the foreseeable future.
“Yeah, very helpful. I mean, you get to see everything from every angle. You can translate a lot of things from guard to center. It’s been great, and I think the coaches have been doing a great job of putting people in uncomfortable situations and situations they haven’t been in before. And I think the experience of me playing multiple positions has helped me with that here at OTAs,” Powers-Johnson said.
The Raiders need Powers-Johnson to take the next step in his development this upcoming season. Many believe has the potential to develop into one of the best offensive linemen in the league, but he still must prove it on the field.