Jackson Powers-Johnson NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Oregon IOL
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 328
HAND: 9⅞"
ARM: 32¼"
WINGSPAN: 78½"
40-YARD DASH:
3-CONE:
SHUTTLE:
VERTICAL: 32"
BROAD: 8'8"
POSITIVES
— Broad, barrel chested-frame with very good athletic ability and power.
— Excellent initial quickness with loose hips to explode out of his stance in pass protection, on back blocks and second-level climbs.
— Has an iron head, powerful shoulders and strong hands to deliver massive jolt on double-team feeds and torque on command to uproot defensive tackles.
— Fluid mover on climbs and screens to rapidly close space on smaller targets with steamrolling power on contact.
— Uncorks and clears the pocket on adjacent rushers when uncovered in pass protection.
— Played through noticeable limp against USC without sacrificing strength or power.
NEGATIVES
— Upright playing style with wide hand carriage and placement exposes chest, which can lead to stalemates and getting slowly pried open.
— Will gain too much ground out of his stance in pass protection and overset wide rush alignments.
2023 STATISTICS
— 13 starts at center
— Unanimous All-American and Rimington Award winner
NOTES
— Born Jan. 23, 2003
— 4-star recruit in the 2021 class, per 247Sports
— Team captain and two-way player for a three-time state championship winner at Corner Canyon High School in Utah, where he also lettered three times in baseball and wrestling
— 15 career starts at center (13), right guard (one) and defensive tackle (2021 Alamo Bowl)
OVERALL
Jackson Powers-Johnson is a one-year starter inside Oregon's balanced (54-46 pass-run split), RPO-heavy, multiple run scheme centered around a downhill run scheme featuring inside zone, duo and counter concepts. Powers-Johnson has a broad frame with a barrel chest, thick upper and lean lower halves with very good athletic ability.
Powers-Johnson is a quick-twitch, explosive and powerful run-blocker who equally excels in gap or zone concepts. He does a very good job of covering up, lifting and securing defensive tackles in the post on double-teams with jarring power on feeds to bump them over as the drive man.
Powers-Johnson can consistently line up his target on the move on back blocks, climbs and screens with very good speed and angles. He arrives on contact with jarring force and has the body control to stay attached to finish.
Powers-Johnson brings an enforcing, tone-setting demeanor with impact block ability. His upright playing style leaves his chest exposed, which long defensive tackles can gain quick access into to create stalemates.
In pass protection, Powers-Johnson is a loose, easy mover out of his stance to get to his landmarks against wide rush alignments. He has a stout, firm anchor to dissipate the bull rush quickly with active, alert eyes and bad intentions when looking for work, providing pocket-clearing blocks when uncovered. Powers-Johnson does need to harness his quickness out of his stance to prevent drifting and oversetting, particularly on further landmarks against wider rush alignments.
Overall, Powers-Johnson is a young, inexperienced prospect who burst onto the scene this season as a first-time starter thanks to his elite blend of size, athletic ability, power and toughness that he used to dominate competition. He does have a few technical aspects of his game to clean up, but his physical traits and makeup should allow him to start right away at either center or guard without being dependent on scheme while providing Pro Bowl potential within his first contract.
GRADE: 8.0 (Year 1 Starter — Late 1st/Early 2nd Round)
OVERALL RANK: 23
POSITION RANK: IOL3
PRO COMPARISON: Eric Wood
Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn
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