Las Vegas Raiders draft pick named among rookie sleepers to watch

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to have a few new starters upfront in 2024, with one of the candidates for a starting role being second-round pick and guard, Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Powers-Johnson is projected to be the starter, but he won't be handed the job. Instead, JPJ is expected to compete with veteran guard Cody Whitehair, who was signed in free agency prior to the 2024 NFL Draft.

Potentially stacking the deck against the Oregon product in that competition is the fact that Powers-Johnson missed significant time due to injury during the offseason program, which is never ideal for the development of a rookie.

With Powers-Johnson competing for such an important role, he was recently named one of the rookie sleepers to watch during training camp by Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer .

He and Thayer Munford Jr. can combine to make the right side of the line a new strength and can be critical to boosting what should be a more effective rushing offense.

It goes without saying the Raiders would prefer their draft investment grab a starting role right out of the gate over an aging player, but head coach Antonio Pierce isn't in the business of handing out starting jobs to anyone.

The competition at guard is the only true battle to watch upfront for the Raiders, at least among the starters. Kolton Miller, Andre James and Dylan Parham have three spots locked down, and Thayer Munford Jr. appears to have a stranglehold on the right guard spot, if he hasn't locked it up already.