As Las Vegas Raiders center Jackson Powers-Johnson prepares to take control of the offensive line, entering the season as the undisputed signal caller of the offensive line, there's a clear standard within the division, set by Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, as Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron named Humphrey number one on his rankings of NFL starting centers.
Powers-Johnson, a second-year player who began his professional career as a guard, while current Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Andre James played center, finally has the support to take the Raiders' offensive line back to 1970s level of excellence.
However, due to the lack of playing time at the position, Powers-Johnson was ranked as 17th best center in football.
"Although Powers-Johnson’s rookie season netted mixed results, that came due in large part to splitting time between center and guard." wrote Cameron. "However, when lined up at center, the first-year blocker looked rather solid, posting a 70.7 PFF overall grade — a top-12 mark at the position. Without Andre James in the picture, Powers-Johnson projects as the Raiders' starting center heading into 2025."
Looking at Powers-Johnson's film, ability is not the issue. Continuity and confidence were. Fortunately, those are things that Pete Carroll has immediately installed since taking over the franchise.
“I mean, I think everybody sees it. Like I said, we're having the most fun time in football that we've ever had, and that starts with him," stated Powers-Johnson regarding Pete Carroll. "Like there's basketball hoops all around the facility. And whenever we're done, he's shooting around and he's having fun.
"And if you want to have a team who has a lot of fun on what they do every single day, it has to start at the top. And he has fun every single day. He brings the juice. He doesn't have a bad day. And it's infectious energy that’s really been put on to us.”
Raiders' fans should be excited. Powers-Johnson excelled in an offense at Oregon that had many of the same principle blocking schemes that Humphrey had in college and with Humphrey being number on one the list, Powers-Johnson is sure to follow.
"Since stepping foot on an NFL field in 2021, Humphrey has not only been the most productive center but also the most productive offensive lineman in the NFL, period. His 2.05 PFF WAR over the past four seasons is the highest figure among all offensive linemen, and his 94.9 cumulative PFF overall grade ranks second, behind only Trent Williams."
Perhaps a sneak peak of what Powers-Johnson will provide in 2025.
