Though the NFL is in peak “lying” season less than one month ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, an old theme may once again prove true. When it comes to centers, they tend to fall in the draft. That could be the case with Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, regarded as the top center in this year’s class.
Per ESPN’s Matt Miller in a Friday morning draft article for ESPN Insider, he’s hearing the NFL isn’t as high on Powers-Johnson as the online draft community appears to be. Per Miller, Powers-Johnson is viewed as a late first-round pick, past where the Pittsburgh Steelers are picking at No. 20.
“In talking to scouts over the past two weeks, it sounds like teams are not as high on Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson as the media consensus. JPJ had a strong early performance at the Senior Bowl before leaving the second practice with a hamstring injury. It was that early impression that saw him rise up draft boards. He followed that up with a good showing in position drills at the combine but didn’t participate in most of the other drills — he did only the bench press and vertical/broad jumps — before shutting it down. The feedback I’ve received from teams is that while he might go in the first round, it’s unlikely that he would be selected in the top 25 picks based on where teams are ranking him.”
By all accounts, including from our Steelers Depot staff attending this year’s Senior Bowl, Powers-Johnson had a strong showing during the first practice. But he did little after it, injured and unable to finish out the week. There are questions about his overall athleticism and while some of his metrics are positive, starting with a strong 32-inch vertical, he did not end up running a 40 or testing in the agility drills.
Generally, the draft devalues centers and puts a priority on offensive tackles. The combination of a strong tackle class along with several quarterbacks and wide receivers expected to be first-round picks could push someone like Johnson-Powers down. In past years, names like Tyler Linderbaum and Creed Humphrey were drafted later than expected.
One player who might not slip is Duke’s Graham Barton. Coming off a strong Pro Day workout Thursday, fellow ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid believes he could be gone before Pittsburgh is on the clock.
“Barton is viewed primarily as a center, but many scouts who I talked to mentioned the Titans’ Peter Skoronski as a comparison. Some evaluators say Barton could go inside the top 15, pointing to a lack of versatile interior blockers in this class. (I have him ranked at No. 26).”
Barton primarily played left tackle in college but due to sub-33-inch arms, is ticketed to move inside. As Reid mentions, it’s a parallel with Skoronski last season. A left tackle at Northwestern, he got drafted 11th overall by the Tennessee Titans and pushed to left guard. Perhaps some teams will look at Barton to play guard, though he doesn’t have experience there.
Pittsburgh has shown interest in both Powers-Johnson and Barton. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer attended JPJ’s Oregon Pro Day while OC and former offensive lineman Arthur Smith showed up for Barton’s (Meyer was in Washington for the Huskies’ pair of first-round offensive line prospects). Neither Mike Tomlin nor Omar Khan attended either session, requiring a break in history for Powers-Johnson or Barton to be a first-round option.
Of course, if someone like Powers-Johnson were to slip in the draft, it’s fair to wonder if Pittsburgh would trade up in the second round to grab a center of the future. Similar could be said for West Virginia’s Zach Frazier. There’s no question the team will select a center sooner than later but who and where are harder to nail down.
