This is a summer of adjustment and change for Paul McQuistan.

A third-round draft pick, McQuistan is making the jump from Weber State, an NCAA Division I-AA school that plays in the Big Sky Conference, to the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

He’s switching positions, moving from tackle to guard, and is already lining up with the first-team offense across from seasoned veterans each day in training camp at Redwood Middle School.

“Whatever I can do to help the team I’ll do that,” McQuistan said Wednesday. “I’m just trying to get better each snap, each play, and go from there. I’ve got to learn to get my body in a better position right away to go to battle. I want to refine my technique, stay healthy and keep going hard. I want make a difference and not be a letdown to the team.

“To get the opportunity to play at this level is huge. You’ve got to look forward to it.”

When he’s not practicing twice a day — which involves hitting blocking sleds, working on his run and pass blocking, scrimmaging against the defense, and spending time developing the technique that’s required to play on the offensive line — he’s either studying the playbook or in the film and meeting room with his position coaches, going over his individual performance that day and how he can go about getting better.

Signed to a four-year contract on Monday, McQuistan is also getting familiar with a new system and an organization that thinks very highly of him when it comes to his talent and potential.

“He’s a smart kid,” said Raiders head coach Art Shell. “We’ve got some good, young kids on our football team and he’s one of the smarter kids on this team. We look forward to him working hard, to continuing his growth and being a part of what we expect to be a pretty dog gone good offensive line.”

McQuistan, who played 42 games at left tackle in college, made such an impression in offseason mini-camps and organized team activities that the Raiders moved him to the starting right guard position for training camp, which began Tuesday. He’s not only getting coaching from Jackie Slater and Irv Eatman, the co-offensive line coaches, but also Shell, a former tackle who’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Shell said he’s looking for McQuistan, who is listed at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, to become consistent with everything he’s doing. Oakland wants to shore up its offensive line play, as the team experienced problems running and passing the ball last year.

“Like all rookies, he struggles,” said Shell. “It’s different for him. You’ve got to understand, playing tackle and then moving inside, things happen a lot quicker inside than they do outside. When you’re inside, things are happening very fast. But he’ll adjust.”

McQuistan, who is from Lebanon, Ore., comes to the Raiders after a very successful college career. He was named as a First-Team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, Sports Network and the NFL Draft Report as a senior. He was also named First-Team All-Big Sky as he helped Weber State average 372.8 yards per game. He was credited with 60 knockdowns and eight touchdown-resulting blocks while allowing four sacks and two pressures.