The Las Vegas Raiders shuffled their interior offensive line this offseason. The Raiders let their starting right guard, Greg Van Roten, depart to the Giants in free agency and moved Dylan Parham, their starting left guard, into Roten’s old spot. They proceeded to draft Jackson Powers-Johnson 44th overall in the second round, intending to convert him to left guard.
However, he hasn’t practiced in their first four weeks of camp.
The Las Vegas Raiders placed their rookie on the PUP list
The Raiders placed JPJ on the active/PUP list before training camp started. He has missed their first four weeks of training camp, including their first preseason game. He has been dealing with a concussion since OTAs.
He could return to the practice field soon.
The Las Vegas Raiders hope JPJ returns to practice next week
According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, the Raiders hope that Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson will return after their second preseason game against the Cowboys and practice next week. However, it’s not a guarantee. Once JPJ returns, he will compete for the starting left guard spot against a veteran Pro Bowler.
Pierce said he’s hopeful to get G Jackson Powers-Johnson (concussion) and OT Kolton Miller (shoulder) back next week (after the second preseason game). It’s not a guarantee, though. Both players are on the active/physically unable to perform list.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) August 11, 2024
A Pro Bowl interior offensive lineman will compete for the starting job
Cody Whitehair will compete for the starting job. Whitehair spent the first eight years with the Chicago Bears, starting 118 out of 124 regular season games along the interior and earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2018. The Bears released him in February, and the Raiders signed him in April.
With the absence of JPJ, Whitehair has received first-team reps with the first-team offense during OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and their first four weeks of training camp. He is the starting left guard in their second unofficial depth chart.
If JPJ returns to full health, expect the competition to heat up during the final stages of training camp.
For More Great Gridiron Heroics Content:
Follow me on X @JacksonLoschko and follow us @GridironHeroics for more great content. If you have any questions, you can message me on Linkedin. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in NFL and College Football, click here.
Thank you for reading my articles. It is greatly appreciated.
