Getty Cowboys potential draftee Jackson Powers-Johnson
Here in the days leading up to the NFL draft, it’s not that difficult to find a slew of opinions on what the Dallas Cowboys ought to do. A bit less common, though, is finding input on what the Cowboys ought to not do.
For the folks at Bleacher Report, one popular name frequently linked with the Cowboys at No. 24 in the first round should be a no-go. That is Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, the star center who seems to have established himself as a first-round pick.
Powers-Johnson is 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, a winner of the Rimington Award for the nation’s best center in 2023, the first player in Pac-12 history to win the award. He was a unanimous All-American and a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, given to the best offensive lineman in the country.
So what gives? Powers-Johnson sounds perfect for a team trying to replace Tyler Biadasz, who left for the Commanders in free agency.
According to B/R’s Alex Ballentine, in a post titled, “1 Prospect Each Team Must Avoid in 2024 NFL Draft,” the Cowboys are in desperate straits in a few spots, and it’s a matter of prioritizing those spots. And center is not as important as the rest of the line. “It goes back to the question of value and triaging needs,” he wrote.
Replacing Tyron Smith a Bigger Priority
The need at center is real for the Cowboys, but the need to replace Tyron Smith, the stalwart left tackle who also left (for the Jets) in free agency is greater. Tyler Smith might replace Tyron Smith at tackle, or could stick around at left guard. That would leave T.J. Bass, Powers-Johnson’s old teammate at Oregon, to man either left guard or left tackle.
Bass was an undrafted rookie last year who played all 17 games, including two starts. Whether the Cowboys draft an offensive lineman with their first pick depends on how strongly they feel about Bass’s potential to be an every week starter.
“The Cowboys also have a need at either guard or tackle. Tyler Smith has shown the ability to play both, so they can slot him in at either position, but losing Tyron Smith means they need two starters on the offensive line,” Ballentine wrote.
“Other options who could start at center will be available later in the draft. In our scouting department’s latest mock draft, the Cowboys took Amarius Mims in the first round and were able to land Zach Frazier in the second round.”
Cowboys Offensive Line Needs Help
While the contracts for the team’s big-name star players get most of the attention, the bigger issue as the Cowboys’ 2024 offseason slogs onward probably is the lack of certainty on the offensive line. We know that Zack Martin will be the right guard, but we know very little about any other spot on a unit that is the backbone of the team’s success in recent years.
Right tackle Terence Steele struggled last season coming back from ACL surgery and allowed 14 quarterback hits, most of any tackle in the NFL. He allowed eight sacks, which was tied for eighth-most. Tyler Smith was very good at left guard but the plan always has been to move him to tackle. But the Cowboys might not want to risk losing a good guard and gaining an uncertain tackle.
Backup Brock Hoffman could take over the center spot. Bass could be the left tackle. Neither was all that impressive in the snaps they got last year.
The Cowboys need to rebuild their line. Powers-Johnson makes some sense. But in support of the B/R warning, NFL.com’s Powers-Johnson scouting report warns that he won’t be ready to play quickly.
“Powers-Johnson is a fierce competitor with a salty disposition but needs to improve his first-phase technique to create more consistent block sustains,” the site wrote. “His rookie season could be bumpy if he has to play early, but he should come out on the other side as a long-time starter.”