So far, it’s been a very busy first week of the new league year for the Pittsburgh Steelers and GM Omar Khan.
Early in the offseason, the Steelers have added quarterback Russell Wilson, linebacker Patrick Queen, safety DeShon Elliott and punter Cameron Johnson in free agency and traded for cornerback Donte Jackson and quarterback Justin Fields, creating quite a bit of turnover at the quarterback position.
Despite it being rather busy from the Steelers’ perspective, they haven’t spent much money in free agency and still find themselves with some key holes on the roster. Some of the holes might have to wait until the 2024 NFL Draft to be plugged, one of which is at center.
After cutting Mason Cole ahead of the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, the Steelers haven’t been active in the center market in free agency, missing out on some experienced, affordable names that could have been starter-level guys. By missing out, the Steelers now have to turn their attention to the draft.
In the draft, there is one name that is viewed as a “perfect fit” for the Steelers based on moves in free agency. For Pro Football Focus NFL Draft analyst Trevor Sikkema, that perfect fit is Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.
In a piece for PFF.com Tuesday morning, Sikkema made the case for why the one-year starter at Oregon and one of the darlings of the pre-draft cycle is the perfect fit for the Black and Gold.
“Isaac Seumalo was the only Steelers offensive lineman to earn a PFF season grade above 61.2 last season. They seem to be OK with Broderick Jones and Dan Moore Jr at the tackle spots, so an interior addition would be welcomed. Jackson Powers-Johnson only had one year as a full-time starter at Oregon, but he was dominant,” Sikkemma writes regarding Powers-Johnson being a perfect fit for the Steelers. “He continued that trend at the Senior Bowl, where he performed well at both center and guard. He could fill either spot for Pittsburgh in their 2024 starting lineup.”
Over the last two seasons, the Steelers have tried to rebuild their offseason line, signing the likes of Isaac Seumalo and James Daniels in free agency, and trading up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to land Broderick Jones.
Center and left tackle remain major holes on the roster, but it does appear that the Steelers are willing to roll with Moore and Jones as the bookends for another year. Center needs a major upgrade, and Powers-Johnson is the top in the class.
Steelers’ offensive line coach Pat Meyer went to Eugene last week for the Ducks’ Pro Day to put Powers-Johnson through positional drills, getting a good look at the Oregon standout. That came a few weeks after Powers-Johnson went viral for tossing Steelers assistant OL coach Isaac Williams aside during positional drills at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Steelers have shown interest in Powers-Johnson throughout the pre-draft process, meeting with him at the Senior Bowl and then sending Meyer to his Pro Day. There is some concern that head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan were not at the Ducks’ Pro Day, so historically that could eliminate him from the first-round discussion.
But there is no denying the fit that seems to be there, at least on paper, with Powers-Johnson and the Steelers.
