Andre James served as the Las Vegas Raiders starting center through the first eight weeks of the 2024 NFL season. In Week 9, however, James remained sidelined due to an ankle injury. Rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson took his place in front of the quarterback in what would be his first career start at center as a pro.
And the rest is history.
In his first NFL contest as a [starting] center, Powers-Johnson took the field for 61 snaps. Whether the Raiders opted to throw the ball downfield or keep the football on the ground, the rookie proved to be a valuable asset as he dominated the trenches against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
On 41 pass-blocking snaps, Powers-Johnson didn’t allow his quarterback to be pressured any amount of times. He received a pass-blocking grade of 78.4 via Pro Football Focus; the fifth-highest among all centers in Week 9.
As good as he was as a pass-blocker, Powers-Johnson was even better on running downs. Among all offensive linemen league-wide, the 21-year-old’s run-blocking grade of 91.7 ranked second-best this past week.
No center to play for the Raiders has recorded a run-blocking grade north of 90.0 since Week 4 of the 2019 season when Rodney Hudson earned a mark of 91.6; .1 lower than Powers-Johnson against Cincinnati. To find the last week where a Raiders center posted a higher run-block grade than the rookie, you’d have to go back to Week 6 of the 2016 season.
That’s how dominant Las Vegas’ second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was this weekend.
Although it was only one game, it should be noted that this one game was a more dominant outing than Andre James has had in 57 career starts at center. But is switching Powers-Johnson to center worth losing his presence at guard?
What helps the Las Vegas Raiders more – fielding Jackson Powers-Johnson at guard or center?
While Powers-Johnson may serve as a better option at center than James, it’s important to remember moving the rookie would in-turn create a void at right guard. That in mind, how beneficial would it actually be for Las Vegas to change the Oregon alum’s position to center?
The answer: incredibly beneficial.
It may be difficult to believe, but Powers-Johnson wasn’t having the easiest time adjusting to life as a guard in the National Football League.Through six contests at guard, the 44th-overall pick this summer logged grades south of 60 both as a run- and pass-blocker. He was responsible for 13 pressures during this timeframe; the third-most on the team, despite missing the first two games of the season and totaling just 21 snaps in Week 3.
Jordan Meredith, a third-year Raider, has started at guard over the past four weeks. Meredith has allowed one single pressure on 161 passing downs with no sack coming on his lone surrendered pressure. In total, Meredith’s 84.4 grade ranks second on the team since Week 6, behind Dylan Parham, Las Vegas’ other starting guard.
From Weeks 6-9, Meredith is the only offensive lineman on the Raiders’ roster who has both a run- and pass-block grade north of 70; both of his respective blocking grades are at least 80, in fact.
With a run-block grade of 82.4, only six guards league-wide have a better mark than Meredith through the last month of football. Similarly, thanks to his 80.0 grade as a pass-blocker, only seven guards across the NFL can claim they’ve earned a higher mark than Meredith.
By moving Powers-Johnson to center, the Las Vegas Raiders get an upgrade at both center and guard: a true win-win for Sin City.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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