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Jackson Powers-Johnson finally claimed a starting spot. Now the Raiders need him to show improvement.
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Throughout training camp Powers-Johnson battled with Caleb Rogers for the starting right guard position. Just a few days before the start of the season, Powers-Johnson claimed the top spot.
“Just saw from him a level of consistency that we wanted to see,”
Janocko is the fifth different offensive coordinator for Powers-Johnson across his brief three-year career. In 2024 the Raiders started out with Luke Getsy leading the offense, but he was fired that November and replaced by Scott Turner. The following season Chip Kelly was the offensive coordinator until he was also fired in November. Greg Olson stepped in as the interim.
Janocko is hoping to avoid meeting the same demise as the previous two offensive coordinators in Las Vegas.
But the constant turnover has led to a disjointed career for Powers-Johnson. Despite entering just his third season, he has had two different general managers and three different head coaches in addition to the coordinator carousel. All of those different voices have moved Powers-Johnson around, as he has played left guard, center and right guard in the NFL.
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If the new coaching staff can provide some stability, Powers-Johnson might be able to settle into a role for once in his career.
The Raiders drafted Powers-Johnson in the second round of the 2024 draft expecting him to provide an immediate improvement on the offensive line. He has not lived up to that draft capital yet.
But he starts the 2026 season with a chance to make the Raiders’ offensive line better. It was one of the worst in the NFL last season. Las Vegas is desperate for it to improve to give Ashton Jeanty room to run and Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza time to throw. Powers-Johnson will be a big part of the Raiders’ potential improvement.
This is also a massive season for Powers-Johnson to prove he belongs as an NFL starter. He is entering his third year of a four-year rookie contract. If he fails to provide consistent play at right guard, the Raiders will likely look to upgrade at the position next offseason.
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 8:00 AM.