Raiders Rookie G JPJ's Late Start Could Prove to be Beneficial

Las Vegas Raiders rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson will make his NFL debut on Sunday.

Las Vegas Raiders IOL Jackson Powers-Johnson / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

It's not easy for a rookie to have to wait before finally getting his first taste of action in the league.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson was one of the best offensive linemen in this year's NFL Draft, but unfortunately, injuries and illness delayed his transition into the NFL.

The Oregon product had to miss much of training camp, as well as the first two weeks of his rookie season. Now, Powers-Johnson will make his debut when the Raiders host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

We see oftentimes situations where rookies are immediately thrown into the fire and fall under the weight of the pressure being held against them.

While it's been a tough road for the rookie through these past couple of months, his time watching from afar and growing mentally may ultimately pay off.

"I mean, just technical stuff and also, just kind of what's going on the game the speed of the game," Powers-Johnson said earlier this week, regarding what he's observed and learned from the sideline. "It's different. So, just getting to know the flow of an NFL game, and being able to kind of sit back and kind of see how everybody reacts is a great coaching point and a great thing that I've been able to learn."

Despite the early struggles, the rookie is optimistic about his fellow offensive linemen's potential.

"Those guys are, pardon my French, ass-kickers, and they did a great job [last weekend]," Powers-Johnson said. "And the mentality they have, the swagger they have and the cohesion we have is second to none, in my opinion. So, we have a lot to get better at, and that's the most exciting thing, But we have a lot of great things going now; we have the mentality we have to want to. We're just a little, just couple steps away from getting to where we need to be, but we're going to get there, and that's the best part about it."

It remains to be seen how much action Powers-Johnson will get in this game, but it wouldn't be a surprise if we see the second-round pick getting some starts down the road this season.

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