Jackson Powers-Johnson NFL Draft Overview
The center position in the NFL is one of the most important positions in all of sports. Centers are the quarterback of the offensive line unit as they call out protections and direct the execution plan in the run game. The best center in the 2024 NFL Draft is, bar none, Jackson Powers-Johnson. The former four-star recruit out of Utah committed to Oregon and lived up to the hype. By his sophomore year, Johnson was a force for the Ducks, playing over 400 snaps and making his first start. In 2023, Johnson became the starting center and had one of the greatest seasons by a Pac-12 offensive lineman. For his efforts, Johnson was rewarded as a unanimous All-American and Remington Award winner. How does he project to the NFL? Let’s dig into the film!
Position: Interior Offensive Lineman
Height: 6’3 (Senior Bowl)
Weight: 334 lbs (Senior Bowl)
Age: 21 years old
School: Oregon
Jackson Powers-Johnson Player Evaluation
Strengths
- Explosive out of his stance with excellent pad level.
- Dangerous at point of attack off the snap, an easy road grader in the run game.
- Devastatingly executing down blocks opens up wide holes for running back.
- He is an effective puller and very fluid, attacking smaller defenders in the screen game.
- Climbs to the second level with ease on reach blocks—Engulfs LBS with his size and strength.
- It’s just naturally strong as a bull. It’s an actual weapon on double teams.
- Knocks defensive tackles backward, strains, and turns defenders with ease.
- Great pass protector. He has the natural strength to anchor against quality bull rushes.
- Excellent awareness, passing off stunts, and blitz pickup.
- He can fit any scheme zone, power gap, or spread; it does not matter.
Weaknesses
- He can sometimes get beat with counter moves and lunges, causing him to get grabby with his hands.
- He can lead to holding calls on rare occasions.
- Oversets in pass protection against wide rush alignments preventing losing ground.
- Wide hand placement exposes chest and can lead to stalemates.
- He is better moving forward than he is retreating as a pass protector.
Projection: Top 15-20 Draft Pick
NFL Comparison: Ryan Jensen
Best Fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, and the Chicago Bears
Bottom Line
Jackson Powers-Johnson is the second-best overall player in the 2024 NFL Draft. I believe Johnson will be a candidate for All-Pro Center and make an immediate difference for an NFL team. Unfortunately, I expect Johnson to slide just like Tyler Linderbaum, Creed Humphrey, and Frank Ragnow because he’s a center. By the way, all 3 of those guys played on conference championship weekend, showing the importance of the center position.
My pro comparison for Powers Johnson was champion Ryan Jensen, the center from Tampa Bay. Like Jensen, He has tremendous strength and explodes out of his stance at the point of attack. They are great maulers in the run game with the feet and athleticism to execute reach blocks and cut off the backside. Johnson is a great pass protector and is further along than Jensen, which is scary. Powers Johnson can fit any scheme and has impressive positional versatility to play guard. Draft Jackson Powers-Johnson; you will be satisfied.
Main Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
