The Las Vegas Raiders planned early this summer to make a shake-up at training camp, but it’s against what their second-round pick from 2024 envisoned for his NFL career.
Per Tashan Reed of The Athletic, first-year head coach Pete Carroll decided this summer that they wanted Jordan Meredith to compete for the starting center job. They view his frame as too small to play offensive guard.
“In one of the most surprising developments of training camp thus far, it turns out Jackson Powers-Johnson isn’t locked in as the starting center,” Reed wrote. “He’s been rotating with fifth-year offensive lineman Jordan Meredith, who started eight games at guard last year. Carroll believes Meredith is better off at center due to his lack of size.”
“The coaching staff approached Meredith in the offseason about making the transition.”
The Las Vegas Raiders’ new coaching staff is shaking things up
The Raiders selected Powers-Johnson with the No. 44 pick, believing he’d be a long-term solution at center. But with a new regime led by Carroll running the show, Las Vegas is putting an ultra-talented Powers-Johnson in a position he doesn’t want to play.
Per Reed, the Oregon standout wants to play center. The move appears to disrespect the wish of a recent draft pick.
“Powers-Johnson starred at center in college, spent all of OTAs at center and has made it clear he prefers to play the pivot, but the Raiders believe his ceiling could be just as high at guard, according to team sources,” Reed wrote. “He started multiple games at guard last year.”
This battle in camp will be interesting to watch, as it’s possible the staff keeps Powers-Johnson at guard even if he’s a better center than Meredith, because the best starting five might be with that combination.
Will Powers-Johnson be okay with making the move?
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