With the release of center Mason Cole, the Pittsburgh Steelers could sign a veteran center in free agency. But The Athletic predicted the Steelers to replace Cole with Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson.
The Athletic projected the Steelers to grab Powers-Johnson at No. 20 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
“Yes, the offense has many areas for improvement, but the chance for longevity and consistency at a key spot on the line can’t be ignored,” The Athletic’s Audrey Snyder wrote. “Powers-Johnson played right guard in 2022 before sliding into the middle full-time in 2023 and winning the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s most outstanding center.”
Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings argued on January 3 that Powers-Johnson “has the tools to be a high-level starter” along the interior of an NFL offensive line for years.
Why Drafting Jackson Powers-Johnson Makes Sense for Steelers
Powers-Johnson was already a trendy pick to the Steelers at No. 20 immediately after the season. It should become an even more popular pick with the release of Cole.
West Virginia’s Zach Frazier and Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran are other potential center draft targets for Pittsburgh. But NFL pundits generally consider Powers-Johnson to be the best option of the three.
Pro Football Focus has the Oregon prospect ranked as the top center and No. 17 overall player in the draft class. PFF has Frazier and Van Pran rated at No. 34 and 87 overall, respectively.
SB Nation’s Michael Beck compared Powers-Johnson’s potential to former Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey. After going in the first round of the 2010 draft, Pouncey proved to be an immediate upgrade for the Steelers offensive line. He helped the Steelers return to the Super Bowl during his rookie season.
“Do you remember the immediate boost Maurkice Pouncey was to the Steelers offense when he was drafted? Beck wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“I really think Powers-Johnson has that same potential.”
In 11 seasons, Pouncey made first-team All-Pro twice and second-team All-Pro three times.
Cummings didn’t describe Powers-Johnson as a finished product. But he left little doubt that the Oregon center could have a positive impact on the Steelers offensive line in 2024.
“He’s the best ‘pure center’ prospect on my rankings, slightly edging out players like Frazier and Van Pran,” wrote Cummings.
“For teams in need of a long-term starter at center, Powers-Johnson is worthy of early Day 2 capital — at the very least. He could ultimately sneak into Round 1 because of his talent, physicality, and positional scarcity.”
Potential Free Agent Center Targets
Another significant reason Powers-Johnson is an obvious choice for the Steelers at No. 20 is the lack of free agent centers this offseason.
Veterans Connor Williams and Andre James are the only centers PFF had ranked among the top 50 players projected to be available in NFL free agency this offseason.
PFF projected both to receive contracts worth more than $22 million in total value. While those aren’t huge projections, Spotrac reported the Steelers have only $12.4 million in cap space as of February 27.
With that in mind, Cole’s release was surprising. The Steelers saved just under $4 million in salary cap space with the release of Cole. But now without him, the team has to replace a key starter along the offensive line.
Drafting Powers-Johnson fills that void at a cheap price. He would also provide more long-term upside.
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