The Raiders’ offensive line profiled as a sneak-back-to-average unit heading into the season, derailed largely by events involving Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Miller’s long been one of the league’s underrated elite left tackles, while Powers-Johnson really came along down the stretch in 2024.
JPJ’s handling in August and September is still a bit murky as to the why: What were offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Pete’s son, offensive line coach Brennan Carroll, accomplishing? They made the sophomore second-rounder compete for his starting job while shuffling the interior OL; it didn’t lead to Powers-Johnson or the whole offensive line firing out of the gate.
After Miller hit injured reserve following Week 4, JPJ was faring better than any other Raiders starting lineman, with fellow Raider incumbents having dropped off dramatically in PFF grading from last season. Now, Powers Johnson joins Miller on IR, and the Ashton Jeanty shares are beyond cooked.
Other teams lost year-over-year incumbent starters last week, while a few others gained them. Let’s dive in.
Who’s losing and returning fixtures on the starting OL?
Four offensive lines gained continuity last week, while two units lost it when incumbents exited the starting lineup.
