Jackson Powers-Johnson’s Medicals Could Raise Issue for NFL Teams

Read any mock drafts these last few months? If you have, the Pittsburgh Steelers usually pick an offensive lineman. The two most common picks are Amarius Mims, and of course, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson has shot up boards after a fantastic Senior Bowl, but the media might be jumping a bit on his stock.

Matt Miller of ESPN has not heard the same love for Powers-Johnson in the league. While he could be a late first-round pick, Miller doesn’t buy that He would be a Top-25 pick.

“In talking to scouts over the past two weeks, it sounds like teams are not as high on Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson as the media consensus. JPJ had a strong early performance at the Senior Bowl before leaving the second practice with a hamstring injury. It was that early impression that saw him rise up draft boards. He followed that up with a good showing in position drills at the combine but didn’t participate in most of the other drills — he did only the bench press and vertical/broad jumps — before shutting it down. The feedback I’ve received from teams is that while he might go in the first round, it’s unlikely that he would be selected in the top 25 picks based on where teams are ranking him,” Miller wrote.

Steelers offensive line coach Pat Meyer travelled to Eugene for Oregon pro day to watch Powers-Johnson, according to Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy. Head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan were not in attendance, which usually is a sign for future Steelers first-round picks.

But why is Powers-Johnson supposedly falling down boards, or why is he thought of as a guy who could later? Dane Brugler might have revealed that in his draft guide, The Beast, on Wednesday, where he cited Powers-Johnson’s medicals as important.

“The medicals will be important after he battled multiple injuries, including groin and hip issues in 2023 along with multiple concussions over his career,” Brugler wrote.

In addition to that, Powers-Johnson pulled his hamstring at the Senior Bowl. Mel Kiper had Powers-Johnson drop all the way to 47th in his latest mock draft on Wednesday. This adds fuel to the fire that he might drop.

But there is interest from the Steelers, as Powers-Johnson was put through his drills by Meyer at Oregon’s pro day. In the past, that has been a sign of the team going after someone in the class. This was the case for George Pickens, Joey Porter Jr., and others on the team in the past.

It’s rare for a center to go in the first round, but Powers-Johnson has played himself into legitimate first-round hype. His movement skills for someone of his size, over 330 pounds, are so rare. And yet, he has only started for one legitimate season. For someone that inexperienced at center to play the way he did speaks to coaching and the rare player, he is coming out of college.

On his lone day at the Senior Bowl, Powers-Johnson showcased elite core strength and even reset his hands twice after getting beat initially underneath his pads. But he is a former wrestler and understands how to maximize leverage and win at the point of attack. It should be no surprise that he has already made a name for himself.