The Las Vegas Raiders may look to move on from guard Jackson Powers-Johnson before the NFL trade deadline arrives next month.
The former second-round selection has struggled through another uneven campaign marked by injuries and inconsistent play. After earning a starting job to open the season under the new coaching staff, Powers-Johnson has seen his role shrink. The team benched him in Week 6 in favor of Caleb Rogers, and questions remain about whether he will regain a regular starting spot.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Powers-Johnson is among the players who could change teams in the coming weeks.
“Johnson-Powers was benched in Week 6 and would probably welcome a change at this point,” Fowler wrote. “Several teams are combing the guard market, and Powers-Johnson wouldn’t cost as much as the marquee names. A Day 3 pick swap might get something done, allowing the Raiders to improve positioning on the back of the draft order.”
Fowler assigned a 35 percent chance that the 23-year-old is dealt. He listed the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers as logical landing spots that could use interior-line help.
General manager John Spytek did not draft Powers-Johnson, which could make the decision easier if the front office decides the return is worth more than keeping a player who has not locked down a role. At the current trajectory, Powers-Johnson risks being released next offseason if he remains in Las Vegas, so securing any draft capital now could represent the better outcome for the organization.
Powers-Johnson showed real promise as a rookie in 2024. He appeared in 15 games with 14 starts and logged 956 offensive snaps while displaying the physical style teams look for in the trenches, even if penalties occasionally cropped up. The Raiders also gave him time at center, a position that aligned with his college background.
ESPN’s Matt Bowen highlighted the drop-off this year.
“Powers-Johnson has the traits to play both center and guard, and he had a 93.3% pass block win rate as a rookie in 2024,” Bowen wrote. “However, he was limited to eight games last season due to an ankle injury, and his 2026 tape shows a regression as a run blocker (career-low 62.7% run block win rate). Teams that had a high draft grade on Powers-Johnson could try to make a move here.”
Through six games and four starts this season, Powers-Johnson has played 256 snaps. Pro Football Focus graded him at 48.1 overall, ranking 65th among 74 qualifying guards. His pass-blocking grade sits at 63.8 while his run-blocking mark is 43.6. He has allowed nine pressures and zero sacks.
The ankle injury that ended his 2025 campaign after eight games limited his development. He entered this year hoping to build on the flashes from his rookie season, but the combination of health issues and the benching has stalled that progress.
At Oregon, Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and earned unanimous All-American honors. Many scouts viewed him as a natural pivot, yet the Raiders have primarily deployed him at guard. The signing of Tyler Linderbaum to a large free-agent contract locked in the center position and left Powers-Johnson competing on the edges of the interior line.
A new environment without the weight of second-round expectations could help him settle into a clearer role. Multiple coaching staffs have shifted his usage, and the constant adjustment may have hindered consistency. For a team seeking an upgrade at guard or center without spending a high draft pick, Powers-Johnson remains a low-cost option who still carries upside from his early professional production.
The deadline falls on Nov. 10. Whether the Raiders pull the trigger will depend on the offers that come in over the next two weeks and how the coaching staff views Rogers’ continued play at the position.
