The Las Vegas Raiders were ecstatic when Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson was available to them at the No. 44 overall pick, in the second round.
The team hopes Powers-Johnson can start right away as a rookie.
Yet, there were some signs coming out of the NFL combine in February that Powers-Johnson may be earmarked to be a second-round pick rather than a first-round pick.
One reason, frankly, is his position. There usually aren’t a lot of sure-fire first-round picks who play the interior offensive line. Yet, there were other reason why Powers-Johnson, who played center at Oregon but will play guard to begin his NFL career, may have fell.
There were reports that some teams were concerned about Powers-Johnson’s medical reports coming of college according to The Athletic. He was forced to withdraw from the Senior Bowl this year because of a hamstring injury after the second day of practice. He had hip and groin injuries last season and has reportedly dealt with concussions.
Powers-Johnson was dealing with an undisclosed injury at a recent Raiders’ OTA session and missed some on-field work.
The other reason why some thought Powers-Johnson was more of a second-round prospect than a first rounder was because of his limited experience. Powers-Johnson, who just turned 21 in January, started just one year at center had had four career starts prior to last season, three at guard and one at defensive tackle.
Despite the injury worries and the lack of experience, Powers-Johnson has dominant tape from 2023 when he won the Rimington Award, which goes to the best center in the country and he an All-American.
So, there are plenty of reason why the Raiders were fortunate to draft in him the second round. The key, of course, is him experiencing good health in the NFL.
