No one is surprised that the Pittsburgh Steelers have an issue at the center position. They released last year’s starting C Mason Cole this offseason thanks in part to his snapping issues. As it stands, Nate Herbig would be the Steelers’ starting center if they were playing a game this Sunday. However, he’s played guard all but 49 snaps in his NFL career and never logged any snaps at center in college. So could Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson be the long-term answer in this year’s draft?
That’s what former NFL OL Geoff Schwartz thinks. Schwartz joined the PM Team on 93.7 The Fan Thursday to talk offensive line prospects. Schwartz may have been a bit biased as he graduated from Oregon, but he gushed about Powers-Johnson.
“JPJ’s a Pittsburgh guy, man,” Schwartz said. “Like, he’s just gritty and tough and physical and no-nonsense. I mean, he loves football. He would fit in well with what Pittsburgh wants to do.”
There’s no question that the Steelers are doing their homework on Powers-Johnson. He was an official pre-draft visit on Wednesday, a crucial part of the Steelers’ modus operandi when it comes to their first-round pick determinations. That is after offensive line coach Pat Meyer saw him in person at Oregon’s Pro Day. So it’s easy to connect some dots here.
We also know that the Steelers are serious about finding their next franchise center. While we may not often talk about center being a franchise position, the Steelers have quite a history with the position. They have two centers enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Dermontti Dawson and Mike Webster. They also had Maurkice Pouncey who may end up making it a Steelers trifecta in the Hall of Fame. It’s a position full of tradition in Pittsburgh.
What makes this more difficult is that centers aren’t typically drafted in the first round. It’s not unheard of, but it’s much less common than other positions. It may simply be that the difference between an elite center and an average center is less than at other positions. An average offensive tackle versus an elite offensive tackle stands out a lot more.
However, Schwartz thinks that Powers-Johnson not only embodies what it means to be a Steeler but fits what they’re trying to do right now.
“Pittsburgh’s in, they’re in win-now mode, right?” Schwartz said. “I mean, with the quarterback situation, Wilson, they’re hoping that they can win very, very quickly. So you have to try to find a guy in my opinion that can play now, and JPJ can play now. I have no problem saying that you get him and he’s your guy immediately at center. Where at 20, you might have a tackle that you have to wait a year or two to have him fully ready to go.”
The Steelers have dug themselves a bit of a hole with this year’s draft. They have major needs at center, wide receiver, corner, and offensive tackle. According to Jason La Canfora, the team is still exploring trade options at wide receiver. If they can get a starting wide receiver before draft day, that would greatly help narrow down considerations early in the draft. Even if that does happen, the Steelers will be banking on three rookies coming in and potentially playing big snaps this season.
There are options on the free-agent market at cornerback at this stage, so that could help post-draft. Patrick Peterson has spoken about waiting until after the draft to sign, so that could be a potential reunion. However, there is next to nothing available at center. So whether it’s Jackson Powers-Johnson or someone else in the draft, the Steelers will likely walk away from the draft with their next shot at a franchise center.
