The Las Vegas Raiders needed to add some serious offensive firepower this offseason if they were going to compete in a brutal AFC West division. They traded for quarterback Geno Smith and drafted running back Ashton Jeanty, as well as a handful of young pass-catchers, to achieve this.
Surprisingly, the offensive line was seemingly the least of their concerns, as the new regime bypassed several talented players at the position early in the 2025 NFL Draft. They waited until the third round to address the offensive line, and they merely selected developmental depth pieces.
So, when Raider Nation learned that Jackson Powers-Johnson was having to compete for his starting job at center, it caused a bit of confusion.