The Green Bay Packers have some work to do on restocking the Offensive Line this summer. Cutting David Bakhtiari and losing Yosh Nijman to free agency will stress the depth of the unit. A solution for inside line depth is available in the upcoming NFL draft, and his name is Jackson Powers-Johnson. By the end of this article I’ll have you thinking of the X-Men every time you watch him play. Let’s dive in!

Production

Jackson Powers-Johnson is coming out of Oregon as a Junior after a wildly successful college career. Powers-Johnson was a unanimous All-American and won the Rimington Trophy, a prize awarded to the best center in college football each year. In 2023, Jackson did not allow a sack, gave up just one pressure in 471 pass-blocking opportunities and led all FBS centers in pass-blocking grade (91.3), overall grade (83.2) and run-blocking grade (83.1), according to Pro Football Focus. Powers-Johnson was one of 13 underclassmen invited to this year’s Senior Bowl, a key focus for the Green Bay Packers.

Jackson Has A Mean Streak

Have you ever watched a lineman play and been forced to violently exclaim “DAMN!!” to an empty room?

Me either… until I saw this clip.

This is a simply stunning bit of work. First, he takes the left end out of the play, then he picks up the blitzing LB and sends him directly to hell. In fact, he throws the guy so far that he knocks over the previously dispatched left end! A completely dominant rep. If this is what Jackson is bringing to a  line, he can play for my team any day.

Jackson Powers-Johnson: Juggernaut??

As I began watching Jackson’s film, I began to notice a move I started calling the Juggernaut. If you aren’t familiar with the 2000’s Era Classic film, X-Men: Last Stand, this will catch you up with the reference:

Jackson’s Juggernaut move happens when he gets to run out in front of a ball carrier on a screen. You’ll note below how he identifies a target, sprints out after him, and…KABLAMO!!!

Spare a thought for the poor DB who gets caught in the path of that freight train. It would be really fun to see him smush folks for the Packers.

Jackson Loves Ball

The difference between a good player and a great one is in usually determined by how much a player loves the game. Will they put in the extra practice time? Lift the extra weight? Do the extra film study? This is a hard characteristic to study, but when I saw the play below, and saw how much fun Jackson is clearly having, I became convinced he’s the type of player that elevates his club and makes everyone else better:

Conclusion

Jackson Powers-Johnson is the top center in the 2024 NFL Draft and clearly has the production, play-style, and love for the game to anchor the line for an NFL club for the next decade. The Packers will likely have to take him at 25 to have a shot at him but have not taken an Offensive Lineman in the first round since Derrick Sherrod in 2011. To find a first round pick spent on an interior lineman, you have to go all they way back to Ross Verba in 1997. But I contend if there was a player worthy of breaking that streak, it is the Juggernaut, Jackson Powers-Johnson.