The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is just two days away, which means about a dozen mock drafts are coming out with every possible first round outcome. In the weeks leading up to the draft, narratives around certain players will ebb and flow, as analysts and scouts pick different reasons to elevate or lower someone’s stock. One player who received a lot of hype early but is now falling a bit later in mock drafts is Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.
Powers-Johnson joined the NFL Insiders today, and he was asked if he has a sense of where he might be picked in the upcoming draft.
“I would love to go in the first round. I feel like I’m a first-round player,” he said. “I’m a first-round center…but it’s not really up to me and I’m just excited to go.”
Early in the pre-draft process, Powers-Johnson was a popular mock draft choice for the Steelers’ first-round pick. But in recent weeks, Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, expected to switch to center in the NFL, has received a lot more attention for the Steelers’ first-round pick. Several mock drafts have even had Jackson Powers-Johnson falling all the way to the Steelers at Pick 51 in the second round, bringing up the question as to whether the Steelers should hold off picking a center at 20 in hopes of landing Powers-Johnson at 51.
Powers-Johnson certainly has faith in himself as a deserving first-round pick, and many analysts support this, as he’s frequently listed as the top center prospect in the class. His tape backs up these claims. He’s got quick, strong hands, and he’s adept at getting to the second level as a run blocker. He’s also got an impressive 6-3 320-pound frame, and he uses a strong base and low pad level to get excellent leverage. He won the Rimington Trophy for top center in college football last season for a reason: he doesn’t have many weaknesses. His biggest knock may be his lack of experience, considering he’s just 21 years old and only started at Oregon for one season.
But the main reason he’s slid into the second round is likely due to the overall status of the center position. It’s uncommon for more than a couple centers to be taken in the first round, as there are other more significant positions on the offensive line that teams target there, like offensive tackle.
If the Steelers agree that Jackson-Powers Johnson is the best center in the class and a worthy first-round pick, then it shouldn’t be surprising if they take him at pick 20. But Omar Khan’s comments in yesterday’s press conference revealed that the team has faith in its internal options at center, perhaps indicating that it may wait to address the position in a later round. It’s hard to know how to take any statements from Khan or Mike Tomlin this close to draft night since they don’t want to reveal their hand to other NFL teams. Maybe Jackson-Powers Johnson is taken in the first round by another team or by the Steelers. Or maybe he slides to the Steelers at pick 51.
At this point, all we can do is count down the hours until Thursday night.
