2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson

From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day Three selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson.

#58 JACKSON POWERS-JOHNSON, C, OREGON (JUNIOR) – 6-3, 328 POUNDS

SENIOR BOWL INVITE

MEASUREMENTS

THE GOOD

— Has good height and size for the position
— Fills out his frame well as a bigger-bodied center prospect
— Possesses good play strength to push defenders off their spot at the line of scrimmage
— Can absorb pass rushers with a strong base and anchor in pass protection
— Plays with a mean streak as a blocker, looking to take his competition to the ground
— Has the movement skills to climb to the second level and make blocks in space
— Does a good job picking up twists and stunts up front
— Snaps the ball cleanly under center and in shotgun
— Isn’t easily moved off his spot
— Does well on combo blocks with the guard up to the linebacker
— Can square pull and full pull from the center spot after the snap
— Looks for work on screen passes out in space
— Does a good job moving laterally to mirror pass rushers
— Has a strong punch and can hit and replace with his hands to sustain blocks
— Hass positional versatility, having started at both guard and center

THE BAD

— Isn’t a dynamic athlete when it comes to speed and twitch
— Can make blocks on the move but is a bigger-bodied blocker that may miss blocks in space
— Will struggle to stay in front of defenders who execute a well-timed counter against him
— May not always get to his landmark on time when asked to pull
— Will lean into his blocks at times, setting him up to be easily shed by defensive linemen

BIO

— Junior prospect from Draper, UT
— Born January 23, 2003 (age 21)
— Consensus four-star recruit and a top-5 center nationally coming out of Corner Canyon HS
—  A four-year letterman and three-year team captain, helped the team to a 51-1 record in four seasons, including three straight state championships
— Played on both sides of the ball in high school at offensive line and defensive line
— Also played baseball and wrestled
— Committed to Oregon and played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2021, playing  80 snaps at right guard, 26 at left guard, and 20 at center while starting at defensive line in the bowl game
— Played in 12 of Oregon’s 13 games in 2022 and played 400 offensive snaps while showcasing positional versatility, spending 350 snaps at right guard, 44 at center, five at right tackle, and one at left guard
— Started 13 games and totaled 829 snaps playing at center
— Finished the 2023 season with the highest pass-blocking, run-blocking, and overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades of any center in FBS
— Rimington Trophy Award Winner (2023), Unanimous All-American (2023), First-Team All-Pac-12 (2023)

TAPE BREAKDOWN

Jackson Powers-Johnson was ready for the bright stage at Oregon coming out of high school, helping Corner Canyon to an impressive 51-1 record during his four-year run in high school, which included three straight state championships. He quickly found time in the lineup as a true freshman before becoming a full-time starter his next two seasons, splitting time at both guard and center while logging snaps at tackle and on the defensive line back in 2021.

When you pop in the tape on Powers-Johnson, you see a physical run blocker that enjoys overwhelming his competition at the point of attack. He plays with a fair amount of nasty in his game, as you can see in the clip below against Utah, getting out in space on the draw play as he locates the linebacker in the box and proceeds to drive him five yards downfield before finishing on top of him for the pancake block.

At 6-3, 320 pounds, Powers-Johnson is a thick, sturdy presence in the middle of the offensive line that displays good play strength. Watch this clip against Oregon State, where he makes contact with the defensive lineman on the snap and quickly tosses him to the side like a rag doll as he torques him with his powerful left-arm punch. He gets the defender off-balance and serves up another pancake as the runner breaks the line of scrimmage into the second level of the defense.

When you see Powers-Johnson on the move, you aren’t wowed by his twitchiness as an athlete, but you do see his ability to move out in space pop on the screen. He has no problems climbing to the second level, getting out in front on screen passes, or looking for work downfield, as you see in this clip against Washington State, finding the safety nearly 20 yards downfield as he runs through the defender’s face like a freight train, unloading on the defensive back for the highlight block after he runs down the field to make a block for the ball carrier on the reverse.

Powers-Johnson does a great job working angles as a run blocker, as you can see in this clip against the Utes, working his feet to be in position to seal off the defensive lineman as he tosses the defender to the side with his hands inside the defender’s chest, finishing again on top of the 330-pound nose tackle for another pancake block.

When it comes to working double teams and combo blocks, Powers-Johnson executes those well with the guard beside him on the line of scrimmage. Watch this clip of Powers-Johnson and the left guard escorting the defensive tackle from Utah out of the way as the runner approaches the line, washing him down the line of scrimmage and leaving a big hole for the runner to hit in the middle of the defense.

As mentioned earlier, Powers-Johnson is a good enough athlete to get out in space and makes blocks pulling from the center spot. Take a look at this rep below of Powers-Johnson pulling to his left to help cover up the defensive end before landing a big hit on the linebacker, knocking him back as the runner works upfield into the second level of the defense.

When it comes to pass protection, Powers-Johnson is sturdy as a sound blocker protecting the quarterback, having the base and anchor to sit in against power rushers as well as the footwork to move laterally to mirror the rush. Here are a couple of examples of Powers-Johnson working in pass protection, playing with good knee bend as well as synced up hands and feet, either picking up pass rushers on his own or properly picking up twists and stunts upfront.

There aren’t a lot of negatives to look for when breaking down Powers-Johnson’s tape, but he does tend to struggle with counter rushes as well as occasionally falling off blocks when he isn’t in a good position. Take, for example, this rep against Utah, where Powers-Johnson leans into the defender with a fairly upright stance, easily being shed to the side as the defensive lineman gets off the block and wraps up the ball carrier as the rest of the defense closes in to make the stop.

CONCLUSION

Jackson Powers-Johnson is a plug-and-play center prospect who doesn’t have a lot of holes in his game and has plenty of strengths that translate well to the NFL. He’s a more than capable blocker both in the running game and in pass protection, utilizing his strength and nastiness to his advantage as he imposes his will on opposing defenders. He anchors well in pass protection and can make base blocks as well as blocks down the field as a run blocker. He may not test extremely well, but Powers-Johnson is a steady presence who appears to be hitting his stride as a center prospect, having bounced around from guard to start his college career.

When thinking of a suitable pro comparison for Powers-Johnson, Ryan Jensen of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to mind as a player of nearly identical size while also being a physical run blocker. The former sixth-round pick has developed into one of the best centers in the league, being sound in pass protection while also in the ground game. Powers-Johnson figures to go much higher than Jensen did, but also has the capability to become one of the better centers in football sooner rather than later.

The Steelers need a long-term solution at center as Mason Cole’s play dropped off in 2023 as a temporary fill-in at the position. Pittsburgh is used to having top-notch play from the pivot position in the middle of the offensive line, and that could be Powers-Johnson as the next guy to man those shoes as one of their top-two selections should they target him. He can come in right away and compete with Cole for the starting job while also having the positional versatility to play some at guard as well in a pinch in case of injury, only enhancing his draft value as the likely top center in this draft class.

Projection: Early-Mid Day Two
Depot Draft Grade: 8.5 – Future Quality Starter (Second Round)
Games Watched: at Utah (2023), vs Washington State (2023), at Oregon State (2023)