Veteran guard Gabe Jackson steadies Raiders’ offensive line

Raiders right guard Gabe Jackson sprinted on Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium. He rumbled around right tackle Sam Young and ahead of running back Devontae Booker, for whom he cleared the way for a 23-yard touchdown run by leveling Chargers defensive back Michael Davis.

“It’s fun and it’s not fun,” Jackson said of pulling on that play, “because you’re playing the battle of you being fat and them being faster than you. But it was fun to get out there and show a little speed.”

Fun to finally be healthy, too.

Jackson, now 29 and in his eighth NFL season, has helped anchor the interior offensive line amid the turnover at tackle through the first half of the season. The former Mississippi State standout played in 2018 with a dislocated elbow and partially torn pectoral and in 2019 with what coach Jon Gruden characterized as a dislocated kneecap.

But he hasn’t missed a snap in seven of the eight games this season and said this week that “it just feels good to me to feel good for once.”

“You’re going to have blips and bruises and aches here and there,” said Jackson, who checks in at 6 feet, 3 inches and 335 pounds. “It is what it is, but ultimately just being healthy feels good.”

Jackson was selected by the Raiders in the third round of the 2014 draft, making him one of the two longest tenured players on the team. The other is quarterback Derek Carr.

He was installed as a starter during his rookie season and played every snap in 2015 and 2016, establishing himself as one of the most reliable right guards in football — a force on running plays and a stalwart in pass protection.

He played 15 games in 2017, though injuries kept him out of eight games the last two seasons and compromised some of his effectiveness. But he’s been steady this season, earning a grade of 61.9 from Pro Football Focus — good for 42nd among 78 qualified guards.

“I wouldn’t trade Gabe for nothing,” Gruden said. “For the time being, that’s the strength of this offense — the quarterback and the interior linemen. … They really set the standard here. They know how to prepare. They know how to compete.”

Bang for your buck

Las Vegas wide receiver Nelson Agholor is averaging an NFL-best 20.4 yards per reception. Five of his 17 receptions have gone for touchdowns. Four of those exceeded 20 yards. Only Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (five) has more TD receptions of 20 or more yards.

Carr has a passer rating of 133.7 when throwing to Agholor, who has 347 receiving yards. The Raiders signed him in March to a one-year contract worth $1,047,500.

“There’s an argument there that he’s been the MVP of the skill position (players),” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said of Agholor. “He has risen above what we thought he would be. He sets very high standards for himself. … We’re just really, really lucky to have him. He’s been a great addition for us.”

Injury report

Defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (ankle) and left tackle Kolton Miller (ankle) didn’t practice for a second consecutive day. Cornerback Keisean Nixon (groin), swing tackle Sam Young (knee/ankle), fullback Alec Ingold (ribs), defensive end Arden Key (foot) and safety Johnathan Abram (groin) were all limited for a second consecutive day.

Cornerback Travyon Mullen (hamstring) sat out Wednesday but returned on a limited basis Thursday.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.