Raiders' Gabe Jackson Becoming a Force

Second-year left guard is nearing elite status, protecting Carr and overpowering defenders as part of Oakland's strong offensive line

It’s hard to miss Gabe Jackson. He wears No. 66 and starts at left guard for the Oakland Raiders and is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds. 

But as this Oakland season has developed into a promising one, with the team now 4-3 heading into its game Sunday at Pittsburgh, Jackson isn’t throwing touchdown passes like Derek Carr or making great moves after a catch like Amari Cooper or knocking over blockers to make a tackle like Khalil Mack. 

Yet it’s Jackson’s stellar performance this season that is a key to making the Raiders offense look efficient and, at times, explosive. Jackson, in just his second season, is earning accolades and votes for this year’s Pro Bowl by evolving into one of the NFL’s best guards. 

In Sunday’s victory over the Jets, Jackson was outstanding again, earning a plus-4.0 grade from the analytics website Pro Football Focus, the second-highest grade of any Raider (behind only Mack’s 7.0). He didn’t allow a sack – in fact, he hasn’t allowed a sack all season – and helped open huge holes for running back Latavius Murray, who rushed for 113 yards. 

Jackson has been the top performer on a line that has grown to become one of the NFL’s best this season. Rodney Hudson at center was the big free-agent addition to a group that also has Donald Penn at left tackle, J’Marcus Webb at right guard and Austin Howard at right tackle. 

After Sunday’s game, Murray noted he owed every yard he got to his blockers. 

“I tip my hat to those guys first, because I can’t do that without them,” he said. 

Penn and Jackson have been outstanding on the left side this season but believe they can get better. 

“Me and Gabe played together all last year,” said Penn afer the Jets game. “Me and him, we’re picking up where we left off and we’re still working on stuff we need to do.” 

ESPN’s NFL Insider Matt Williamson, a former NFL scout, recently said Jackson is on the brink of being an elite player. He said Jackson is one of the key foundation players of an organization that’s rebuilding around him, Carr, Cooper and Mack. 

“He’s one of the very top young guards in the NFL right now,” Williamson told ESPN.com. “... But, of course, since he is a guard and not a (skill-position player) he isn’t spoken about” with those other young Raiders stars.

As this season progresses, however, Jackson is going to get more and more attention. 

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