2024 NFL Draft: Would Oregon's Jackson Powers-Johnson Fit the Jaguars?

Would college's top center make sense for the Jaguars in the 2024 NFL Draft?

The 2024 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold nine picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 17 overall pick.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

First up: Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson.

Overview

Rated as a four-star high school prospect by 247Sports, Jackson Powers-Johnson was ranked as the No. 183 overall recruit, the No. 13 interior offensive line recruit, and the No. 3 recruit in Utah. He ultimately committed to Oregon over offers from BYU, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, Utah State, Washington State, and Liberty. 

Powers-Johnson appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2021, taking snaps at all three interior guard positions and starting games at right guard, left guard, and even defensive tackle. He then played 12 games in 2022, spending most of his snaps at right guard. 

Powers-Johnson then became a full-time starter for the first time in 2023, starting 13 games at center and being named a Unanimous All-American and winning the Rimington Award.

What Jackson Powers-Johnson Does Well

There aren't many holes to poke in Powers-Johnson's game. He stands out even before the ball is snapped with a wide, sturdy frame and then explodes off the ball with the force of a bowling ball with arms and legs. In terms of consistency, Powers-Johnson's 2023 season was exactly that. 

As a run-blocker, Powers-Johnson has the fluidity and ability to reach defensive linemen to thrive in a zone scheme. He fires off the ball with explosiveness but also has the flexibility and quick-twitch footwork to make up ground in space. His flexibility especially stands out when he uses leverage and angles to win reps.

Powers-Johnson plays with plenty of power and physicality, as well. He is able to displace defenders with his powerful punch and also has the grip-strength to steer them away from running backs once he gets into their frames. Powers-Johnson is also an effective second-level blocker, showing the footspeed to quickly climb to linebackers but also the balance and instincts to not overshoot his targets. 

As a pass-blocker, Powers-Johnson is suspect at times to bull-rushes and can give up space on contact, but he ultimately is effective thanks to his quick feet and powerful jolts on contact. He plays with good eyes, too, always looking for work and rarely looking fooled by defensive pressure packages. 

How Jackson Powers-Johnson Would Fit With the Jaguars

This one is obvious. Powers-Johnson has the frame and versatility to play guard at the next level, but the Jaguars need help at center first and foremost. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson gave incumbent center Luke Fortner some praise after the season ended, but general manager Trent Baalke seemed to pour some cold water on it.

“I truly believe in Luke [Fortner] as a guy that has what it takes to play the position and play it well. He’s showing signs of doing that. This was not necessarily one player’s issues. This was a systematic issue," Baalke said. 

"So when you look at across the board, the things I talked about going back to the basics, going back to three-point stances, coming off the ball, forming an identity. All of those things, we’ve got to do better. We also got to look to how we make this a more competitive situation. Guys get nervous when the guy behind them is pushing them everyday for the starting role. Iron sharpens iron. So you got to make these rooms as competitive as you can, whether it’s through the draft or through free agency, we’ve got to attack that to make these rooms as competitive as they can be so the guy that’s starting is always feeling the pressure of the guy behind him.”

In short: Baalke and the Jaguars won't kill their former third-round pick to the media, but they know they need to add some competition to the position. And Powers-Johnson is an obvious potential addition since he has the ability to fit the Jaguars' versatile running scheme, showing the traits to thrive both in zone- and gap-based schemes. 

Powers-Johnson also excels at the second level and on screens, which the Jaguars have clearly made an emphasis on when it comes to the center position. 

Verdict

There haven't been a ton of centers to hear their names called in the top-20 over the last 14 years. Since 2010, the only centers picked in the range the Jaguars are picking are Garrett Bradbury (No. 18), Frank Ragnow (No. 20), Ryan Kelly (No. 18), Cameron Erving (No. 19), Maurkice Pouncey (No. 18). The hit rate there is 3-2, with Ragnow and Pouncey showing the best-case scenarios, and with Bradbury and Erving showing that center isn't exactly a can't-miss position. 

Powers-Johnson is absolutely a better prospect than Bradbury and Erving, though it is hard to make an argument that he is as good of a prospect as Tyler Linderbaum (No. 25 overall in 2022). Whether Powers-Johnson would be good value at No. 17 largely hinges on which players are taken in the first 16 picks, though it would be tough to make an argument for a center over a cornerback if both are graded the same.

With that said, Powers-Johnson is a first-round type prospect and should be a Pro Bowl-caliber player at some point in his career. If the Jaguars think center is the biggest thing holding their running game back, it would make sense to take him at No. 17. He is better than Luke Fortner, which is the primary question.