Jackson Powers-Johnson OC Oregon: Scouting Report

Height: 6’3

Weight: 334

Overall

Jackson Powers-Johnson is a powerful center in Oregon’s balanced, RPO heavy offense. In his 3 seasons with the Ducks he played in 36 games, with 17 starts. He has experience playing everywhere on the interior of the line but played solely at center this past season. In his true freshman season he even made a start at defensive tackle in the Alamo Bowl. He is a versatile lineman and can be an immediate impact player at the next level.

Pass Game

As a pass protector, Powers-Johnson has the strength and footwork to protect against both power and speed on the interior. He has an elite anchor and shows very good footwork against power rushers. Against bullrushes he will occasionally give up ground on initial contact but he has the strength and balance to get back in position and wall them off. When protecting against more athletic defensive tackles he has the upper body strength to knock them off balance and block them to the outside. He does a great job of staying square and moving laterally to block stunts and blitzes in the middle. He is a consistent pass protector and can be relied on against all forms of defensive linemen at the next level. 

Run Game

In the run game, Powers-Johnson is a north and south center who excels when blocking vertically. He is quick out of his stance and has a very strong initial punch. He consistently drives his feet after contact to block defenders up the field. On zone runs he has the power to block his initial man out of the “A” gap then the athleticism to get to the 2nd level and block linebackers creating huge running lanes for the ball-carrier. On power runs, he is a very good down blocker to create room for the pulling linemen behind him but he lacks the mobility to be used as a puller himself. This lack of mobility as a pulling center will limit his scheme usage in the NFL but his power and vertical blocking will still allow him to be a reliable lead blocker early in his career.

Last Word

Powers-Johnson has elite size and strength at the center position to both protect the quarterback and create big running lanes on the interior. He projects best as a center in a zone-heavy offense where he will be able to block vertically and not be needed as a pulling lineman. He has the skill set and experience to play guard as well providing exceptional depth to the o-line unit. His initial punch and leg drive will make him very valuable on short yardage 3rd downs and he has the pass blocking talent to be relied on in obvious passing situations.

One-Liner: Jackson Powers-Johnson has everything you want from the center position and with his versatility to be used at guard, he will be a consistent starter for a very long time.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter with 2 Position Flexibility)

Games Watched: 2023 - Oregon State, Colorado, Utah

Team Fits: Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks