An unexpected shuffle on the O-line: Five things we learned this week at Raiders training camp

New York Times

6 hours ago

LAS VEGAS — On Saturday, for the first time since January, the Las Vegas Raiders took the field at Allegiant Stadium. They were there for their 'mock game' — basically a propped-up practice — in front of thousands of fans.
'We're just getting warmed up,' coach Pete Carroll said Saturday. 'We've got a lot of work to do.'
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There was no tackling to the ground during the session, but the Raiders still came away with an injury — safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. got rolled up on by a teammate and had to be carted off the field. It was a lower leg injury for Johnson, who's been handling duties as the third safety for the defense. After practice, Carroll called it a 'significant' injury.
Sneak preview 🍿#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/X2fqueIp2q
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) August 2, 2025
The Raiders were in pads for four of their five practices during the second week of training camp. Competition ramped up on both sides of the ball, and things will go up another level next week when they travel to Seattle for their preseason opener against the Seahawks on Thursday.
Here are five things I learned from Week 2 of Raiders training camp.
In one of the most surprising developments of training camp thus far, it turns out Jackson Powers-Johnson isn't locked in as the starting center. He's been rotating with fifth-year offensive lineman Jordan Meredith, who started eight games at guard last year. Carroll believes Meredith is better off at center due to his lack of size. The coaching staff approached Meredith in the offseason about making the transition.
'It allows me to see the game from a different perspective,' Meredith said Saturday. 'In the center position, you have a lot of calls. When you're out there making the calls, it can get really fast. … The good thing about this is I've got really good (players) all around me and they're all very smart. If I'm making a call, they're also making the call. … We all communicate really well.'
The Raiders are working to identify the best group of five for the offensive line. As part of that process, they also had Powers-Johnson slide over to starting right guard during practice Thursday. He was replacing Alex Cappa, who's held down that role since OTAs. The full lineup was: Kolton Miller at left tackle, Dylan Parham at left guard, Meredith, Powers-Johnson, and DJ Glaze at right tackle. On Friday, Powers-Johnson lined up as the backup right guard behind Cappa. On Saturday, he was back as the starting right guard.
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Powers-Johnson starred at center in college, spent all of OTAs at center and has made it clear he prefers to play the pivot, but the Raiders believe his ceiling could be just as high at guard, according to team sources. He started multiple games at guard last year.
'Regardless of if it's center or guard, physicality, emotion, a finish to him,' Miller said Thursday. 'He's so dynamic. Having a lot of the guys be able to do both is big. So, wherever he's placed, he makes a big impact. … Wherever he's placed, watch out.'
Decamerion Richardson wasn't expected to play much as a rookie but ended up appearing in 12 games and making seven starts. The results weren't pretty; according to Pro Football Reference, he allowed 10 yards per target (16th-most in the league) and 15.3 yards per completion (15th most). Despite that, the front office gave him a clean slate to work with this offseason. It's still early, but Richardson has taken advantage and displayed a lot of growth.
'He was like, 'Man, JB, I feel like how you were last year, man, they just keep throwing my way,'' fellow corner Jakorian Bennett said Thursday when asked to reflect on Richardson as a rookie. 'And I was like, 'Yeah, bro, it's going to happen like that. The game doesn't slow down for you.' So, I'm happy for him and glad things are kind of slowing down for him.'
Richardson has worked frequently with the starters as of late, and he has been consistent in coverage and is starting to make more plays on the ball. He has everything Carroll likes in his corners from a physical standpoint — he's tall, long and fast — and has a lot of upside. Eric Stokes has been a constant in the starting lineup, so the primary player Richardson has been trying to fend off is Darien Porter, who was drafted in the third round this year and also has a lot of physical talent. Richardson and Porter rotated throughout this week.
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'Just the mental part of it,' Porter said Thursday when asked where he's made the most strides. 'It can be kind of daunting coming into the NFL as a rookie, especially at the cornerback position, but with the guys that I have in the room, with the coaches that I have, and with the practices and continued practices, I think confidence is just getting better by the day.'
Bennett has been the odd man out in the rotation. There have been times where he's working with the second- or even third-team defense in practice. He was the Raiders' best corner in the 10 games he played last year, but he's struggled to stay healthy in his first two seasons and is on the shorter end (listed at 5-foot-10) for a Carroll cornerback. Although he's performed well in practices, Bennett hasn't gotten as many first-team reps as the others.
'It's nothing that I haven't been through before, you know?' Bennett said. 'Like in high school, I only started one year, my senior year. Going JUCO and going to Maryland. I always feel like the underdog, and not saying I'm an underdog right now, but just more so, I always had to get out the mud, you know. And, man, that's nothing I shy away from. That's who I am. I like to persevere. I like to be resilient, and that's when I see the best JB, when I'm just focused on me, focused on just being present and just controlling what I can control at the end of the day.'
Nobody used 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, two receivers) more often than the Raiders last year. They used the grouping on 35.9 percent of their snaps (first) according to TruMedia. When it came to effectiveness out of 12 personnel, however, they were below average: just 4.8 yards per play, which ranked 23rd.
Part of the problem was they didn't get what they expected out of Michael Mayer. He missed six games due to personal reasons, and he wasn't himself when he did play. He said he feels better mentally, emotionally and physically, and he's put forth a strong training camp so far.
Another big issue was the Raiders were one of the worst teams in the NFL running the ball. Their blocking was poor, and they lacked a difference maker in the backfield. They hope the O-line is better this year, and they're expecting to be much better at running back with the addition of Ashton Jeanty.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly used 12 personnel often in the same role at Ohio State last year. Given the Raiders' lack of depth at receiver, the idea makes a lot of sense. Whether they're any good at it will start to emerge in the preseason.
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Elandon Roberts is pretty locked in as the starting Mike linebacker, but there's a four-way competition at Will linebacker. Devin White has taken the majority of the snaps there since OTAs and has had such a strong training camp that Carroll declared him 'back' to his old self. Germaine Pratt will be White's biggest competition. He took White's spot during practice Friday, but White was back as the starter Saturday.
The Raiders are also working in Tommy Eichenberg and bringing Jamal Adams along slowly. They typically use two-linebacker groupings, so the competition here will be intense, and however it shakes out, they should have quality depth.
The Raiders signed defensive end Maxx Crosby to a massive extension in March, but that was different. He's a top five player at his position and is still in his prime. That's a deal you get done even if you've never met him.
For the rest of the extension-eligible players on the rosters, an argument could be made for the Raiders to hold off and see how they perform this season before committing to them. Instead, they signed Miller to a three-year, $66 million extension with $42.5 million guaranteed on Wednesday. Miller thinks that should help the front office set a positive tone with the roster.
'You put in the work, you show up and it's all about buying in and keep buying in each year because nothing is given; you have to keep earning it each day,' Miller said. 'I think it sends a great message to the team and the organization that they take care of their guys.'
(Top photo of Jackson Powers-Johnson, left, and Jordan Meredith: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)