Gabe Jackson has been the Oakland Raiders' starting left guard since he arrived in the Bay Area as a third-round pick in the team's outstanding 2014 NFL Draft.

Two years later, Jackson is adjusting to a new but similar position on the right side of center Rodney Hudson. It wasn't performance that brought about the change -- far from it -- but instead it was the addition of stud free agent Kelechi Osemele, who has also been a left guard for the majority of his career.

That forced the Raiders coaching staff to make a decision on how to align the two massive maulers, and so far head coach Jack Del Rio feels good about the choice that was made.

“From our standpoint, we’re looking for the best combination," Del Rio said after the fourth practice of OTAs Tuesday, via the team website. "We feel like (Jackson) has got the power that’s really a covet for a right guard, in particular. Both of those guys are really talented. That was the decision we made, to try that way first with Gabe.

"I’ve seen nothing that would suggest anything other than he’s going to be just fine and we’ll be a much stronger unit with that group that’ll end up being in there and we’ll be stout.”

Jackson (mostly) seamlessly moving to right guard should be no surprise, as he's proven to be one of the best young players in the league at the guard spot. Same goes for Osemele, who signed a five-year, $58.5 million deal in March and turns 26 years old later this month.

Together, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Osemele and and 6-foot-3, 336-pound Jackson should give the Raiders a leg up in the run game this season and beyond, regardless of which side of the center each player is lined up.

"I mean, it's a learning process and there are growing pains, but it's also fun, too," Jackson said of the switch, via the Bay Area News Group's Jerry McDonald. "This is a good time of year to do it. You can't overthink it. You've just got to be a football player."