Raiders Training Camp Battles: Powers-Johnson vs. Whitehair

The Las Vegas Raiders have some intriguing positional battles ahead in training camp, and today we break down the offensive line battle between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Cody Whitehair.

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson (OL58) during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders will begin training camp in just a few short weeks. 

The Raiders showed strong momentum at the end of the 2023 season, and they are looking to build on that and make the postseason in 2024.

Before any of that can happen, the Raiders have to go through training camp and figure out who will start at certain positions. 

There are several intriguing positional battles that we will look at ahead of the start of training camp, and today, we will look at the right guard battle. 

The Raiders have a few candidates who will compete for this spot, but it will likely come down to rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson and former Pro Bowler Cody Whitehair. 

Let’s take a look at each player. 

Powers-Johnson was a second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He played center his last season with the Ducks but also played guard and a little bit of tackle in his collegiate career. He will move to guard full-time in the league. 

Powers-Johnson has everything a Raiders’ offensive lineman needs: size, athleticism, toughness, and aggression. The Raiders have several big-bodied linemen who move defenders in the run game, and Powers-Johnson is one of them. 

Whitehair, now 31, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Chicago Bears, making the Pro Bowl in 2018. He has familiarity with new Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy’s scheme, which could give him the upper hand in this competition. 

Another Pro Bowler, veteran Andrus Peat, who has played tackle and guard in his career, could have a shot to earn the starting spot as well, but he could also serve as quality depth at this point in his football life. 

Will the Raiders go with scheme familiarity and veteran experience with Whitehair, or will they go with the young rookie they drafted high? 

The trenches are incredibly important for the Raiders’ offense. If the offensive line isn’t holding up, the offense cannot produce points. They need to make the correct decision at right guard so the offensive line can operate to the best of its ability. 

The Raiders’ right guard battle will be one of the most interesting things to watch when training camp kicks off in a few weeks.

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