Steelers Receive Bad News From NFL Draft Analyst Praising Top Center As A "Riser" Following Senior Bowl Practices

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2023 season came to an abrupt halt after a tough Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Fans will have to wait another year to potentially see the organization win its first playoff game since the 2016 campaign. While free agency is an exciting point in the offseason, the best part, arguably, is the NFL Draft. After a phenomenal one in 2023, General Manager Omar Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl will have their hands full trying to replicate a strong class. Some needs are more glaring than others and it's not going to be easy to select NFL-ready prospects.

A key position that the team is likely to target at some point is center. Mason Cole was signed to a three-year deal in the 2022 offseason and was extremely inconsistent in his second year with the team. His snaps were all over the place and he didn't play hard-nosed enough to bulldoze opposing defenders. There's no reason for Khan not to bring in some serious competition for the veteran.

One of the top targets at the position in the 2023 class is Jackson Powers-Johnson out of the University of Oregon. He played a tremendous role in a high-scoring Ducks' offense and was originally looked at as a second-round pick. Unfortunately for Steelers fans who may be falling in love with him, the most respected draft analyst out there, Mel Kiper Jr., said on First Draft, a podcast he co-hosts with Field Yates, that Powers-Johnson is rising quickly after Senior Bowl practices.

"He's just a rock. I mean he just cannot be... an immovable center, a guy that can do everything you want, has a confidence level about him that you kind of play off of and everybody sees and everybody feels like 'okay, we know we got this guy who can anchor our line for a long time.'"

Powers-Johnson is the first player Kiper discussed when Yates asked him to talk a little bit about who may be considered as a "riser" on draft boards after the practices at the Senior Bowl. The last time Pittsburgh drafted a center in the first round, Maurkice Pouncey went on to be an incredible player for 10 seasons. The question becomes, with so many needs, would the Steelers be willing to select Powers-Johnson with the 20th overall pick to replace Cole?

Kiper didn't stop gushing over how good Powers-Johnson is and he truly believes that he has the potential to be a very good player in the NFL for a long time. He was confident in his analysis.

"In terms of pure centers in this draft, I think Jackson Powers-Johnson is center [number] one. He's a guy who's a plug-and-play starter as a rookie. He's got a chance now to be showing up in all these mocks, first round," Kiper stated. "For Jackson Powers-Johnson, I think people are confident that we have ourselves a guy. If we need that help at that position, we have guy who can be an immediate hole-filler and have the chance to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player for a long time."

With needs at defensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, safety, and maybe even quarterback, selecting a center in the first round may be a bit of a reach. It's a very deep class at the position and guys like Zach Frazier and Sedrick Van Pran are two other names to look out for. It's hard not to get excited about Powers-Johnson, however, given Kiper's significant stamp of approval.

Steelers Can't Afford To Let Cole Snap Footballs In 2024

It was mind-blowing just how bad Cole was in 2023. If the Steelers are serious about taking the next step on offense, keeping Cole in the starting lineup would be a grave mistake. He is looked at as a great leader, but has not automatically earned a third year as Pittsburgh's first-string center. It might not be the craziest thing to go after a guy like Powers-Johnson in the first round.

Do you think the Steelers could use their 2024 first-round selection on a center? Let us know in th comments below!

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