REPORT: The Raiders Have a Budding 'Secret Superstar'

The Las Vegas Raiders decided to move on from general manager Tom Telesco last week to start fresh. Although he was only with the team for one offseason and one regular season, Telesco may have positively impacted the Raiders for at least the next decade.

Telesco took over an extremely flawed Raiders team, built by Josh McDaniels, that needed an infusion of talent at the end of last season. Talent and depth were also required, as the Raiders lacked both, especially along the offensive line last offseason.

With the regular season now in the rearview, Telesco and the Raiders' scouting department clearly did a masterful job preparing for the most recent NFL Draft. They executed flawlessly.

The Raiders needed an offensive lineman, not a tight end, in the first round. However, Telesco drafted the best player available with the 13th overall pick: tight end Brock Bowers.

Telesco would then draft offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson in the second round. Both players worked out, as Bowers had a historic season, and Powers-Johnson became a force at multiple positions along the offensive line.

Powers-Johnson is a player the Raiders can build around as they move into the future. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus listed every team's "secret superstar" heading into next season. Locker specifically explained what he considered when making the list.

"Like virtually every sport, the National Football League is perennially driven by the best players and top talents. But what makes football so much fun is the unheralded stars who fly under the radar despite stepping up. Although there isn’t a signature PFF metric for “underratedness,” these 32 players would qualify based on how good their seasons were relative to wider discussion."

Locker noted how Powers-Johnson impacted the Raiders' offensive line, which has struggled over the past two seasons.

"Even in a season featuring only four wins, Las Vegas received some immediate results from its rookie class, including Powers-Johnson," Locker said. "The second-round pick was solid at both left guard and center, securing a 68.3-plus grade in both pass blocking and run blocking. Powers-Johnson’s 97.9 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating placed fourth among qualified rookie offensive linemen. No matter whom the Raiders have under center next year, they can have hope that the Oregon product is a foundational piece."

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