While wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is expected to be on the trade block since the Raiders currently own a 2-5 record, another player has been gaining steam ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline: offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Silver and Black Pride recently explored the idea of trading Powers-Johnson, given that he seems to have fallen out of favor with Pete Carroll and the Raiders’ coaching staff. Bleacher Report’s Kevin Knox shared a similar sentiment, listing the second-year pro at No. 10 in a recent “Trade Block Big Board” column.
The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be as low as ever on offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson.
After refusing to play the 22-year-old at center early in the season and forcing him to battle for a starting job, head coach Pete Carroll benched the 2024 second-round pick during Sunday’s blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
While his early 2025 campaign hasn’t made a positive impact on Powers-Johnson’s trade value, his draft pedigree, college production and rookie tape are hard to ignore.
He won the Remington Trophy in 2023 and started 14 games as a rookie.
While Powers-Johnson is a natural center, he has experience at both that position and guard. He’s shown flashes of potential, though inconsistently, in Las Vegas.
The Raiders clearly aren’t ready to win right away, even with Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith in the fold. If they can’t find a spot for Powers-Johnson in the starting lineup, they should be willing to flip him for a pick or player they’ll actually use.
Knox lists JPJ’s trade value at a 2026 fourth-round pick and/or a veteran cornerback, and names the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans as potential suitors. Both teams could make sense if the Raiders are looking to flip the young offensive lineman for draft picks.
The Browns are also staring at a rebuild and have an aging offensive line that could use some youth on the interior, seeing as center Ethan Pocic (30) and guards Joe Bitonio (34) and Wyatt Teller (30) are all in their 30s. Meanwhile, the 2-4 Texans’ playoff hopes are quickly diminishing and the offense’s struggles in the trenches are a big reason why. Cleveland currently has one fourth-round pick (along with three fifths), while Houston has two.
The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. PST, so there’s still over another week for the situation to get sorted out, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Las Vegas strike at least one deal.
In Other Raiders’ Links:
- Raiders worse than last year?: “The 2024 Las Vegas Raiders held a 2-5 record through the same point last season before going to end the year at 4-13, the Raiders are also on pace to finish 4-13, though ESPN’s FPI has them projected 3-14, which would be the Raiders’ worst finish in over a decade,” our Tristian Kuhn writes. “…The 2024 Raiders had a -125 point differential, the 2025 Raiders are on pace to have a -187 point differential after their 31-0 blowout.”
- Pete Carroll looking like a bust: “Mostly, we’ve been treated to some atrocious football from this ragamuffin group,” our Ray Aspuria writes. “And all three phases of the team’s game — offense, defense, and special teams — have taken turns in participating in regressive football.”
- What’s gone wrong this season?: The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore points to three major reasons why the Silver and Black have struggled this fall.
- HBCU classic at Allegiant: The Raiders’ home stadium will host this year’s matchup between Jackson State and Grambling State, and the franchise would like to make hosting the game an annual tradition, according to The Athletic’s Jason Jones.
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