Senior Bowl Day 1 takeaways: Powers-Johnson a legitimate enforcer at center

MOBILE, Ala. -- Clad in a pair of blue jeans, a grey hooded sweatshirt, a cream-colored Steelers ball cap, and sunglasses, Mike Tomlin clutched a paper coffee cup and made his rounds around the field at Hancock Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama to look at the next potential Steelers.

His first stop as the horn blew to begin Tuesday's Senior Bowl practice was the South end zone, where the National team was running drills. More specifically, his first stop was to watch the offensive line perform, and that is where he recorded his first glimpse of an all-important position of need for his Steelers in April's upcoming draft.

Right in front of Tomlin's eyes, a mountain of a human came out of his stance and begin to drive his 6-foot-3, 334-pound frame into his defender. That mountain is Jackson Powers-Johnson, the University of Oregon product who shot up draft boards with his breakout 2023 season and his projectable frame.

Here is a sample of that rep. Tomlin is on the right side of the screen in this video, and Powers-Johnson took the second rep on the side closest to Tomlin, in the silver helmet:

For as broad as his shoulders are, that's how broad Powers-Johnson's skillset is. On this first day of practice, Powers-Johnson was the unquestioned lead dog among offensive linemen in both pass blocking and run blocking sets. He pancaked a couple of the defensive linemen who opposed him in passing sets, and he showed agility and excitement in getting to the second level in running situations. 

After this practice, Powers-Johnson shared a handshake with Tomlin at midfield that could mark the start of a long-term business relationship. Powers-Johnson then confirmed to DK Pittsburgh Sports he met with Tomlin and the Steelers Monday evening. 

Powers-Johnson had two things on his mind that he wanted to show scouts this week in Mobile:

"Physicality and my passion for football," he told me. "Just how I love it."

The unanimous All-American Powers-Johnson is currently projected as a consensus second-round pick by the Mock Draft Database. He led all Football Bowl Subdivision centers with a 91.3 pass-blocking grade, an 85.2 run-blocking grade, and an 84.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023.

His arms measure at 32 1/8 inches long, making for a fair size for an NFL offensive lineman. His most impressive physical attribute is his broad chest, which gives him a sturdy frame to build power from. He showcased that in his first day on the job Tuesday.

"I'm a competitor, hard worker, great teammate, and I just love football and have a passion about it," Powers-Johnson said. "... These practices are really imperative for me to show, come out, compete, have fun. These practices, the (NFL) Combine, and every opportunity, I have to take advantage of it."

The Steelers still have to piece the rest of their offensive line together, even after drafting Broderick Jones in the first round and signing Isaac Seumalo to a free-agent deal last offseason. Those two, along with James Daniels, are locks to start for the Steelers in 2024, but the center and tackle positions are likely to be addressed due to many errant snaps from Mason Cole and too many inconsistencies from Dan Moore Jr.

The Steelers are reportedly hiring former Falcons coach Arthur Smith as their new offensive coordinator. That move will have implications on personnel the Steelers scout, sign, and/or draft in the coming months, but the need for a new center in a general sense shouldn't change.

Powers-Johnson played with two different offensive coordinators and three different offensive line coaches at Oregon, so the coordinator change in Pittsburgh would not be anything new for him to adjust to. Smith is likely to keep a tradition of a running-first scheme alive in Pittsburgh with his knack for zone runs, which is something that Powers-Johnson excels in. He said getting to the second level on his blocks is something he looks for every time.

"I love it, it's imperative for me. It's my identity," Powers-Johnson said. "... I'm a finisher. That's my type of M.O. I think the game is supposed to be played physical and that's just what I love to do."

MORE FROM MOBILE

• If the Steelers are drafting an offensive lineman with the 20th pick, Tomlin got a head start on that process himself Tuesday. He had his nose into numerous offensive line drills. If he was any closer to the line of scrimmage and the huddle, representatives might have asked him to put a jersey on and get onto the field for plays. Tomlin was in it all day, as he usually is, but he spent extra time with the big guys up front. Omar Khan, Andy Weidl, and more members of the Steelers' scouting team are here, but none were more engaged than Tomlin was.

• Isaac Williams is included in members of the Steelers' staff here. The Steelers' assistant offensive line coach is coaching the offensive line for the American team. Williams said interactions with linemen from the National team are hard to come by since he's spending so much time with his American team, but this experience will give the Steelers a bit of an inside edge on this deep offensive line class. Last year, Steelers defensive backs coach Grady Brown was one of the Senior Bowl defensive coordinators, and outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin coached that position in the Senior Bowl.

"Any time you get a chance to coach football, be with a young group of guys that are about to take theirs into the NFL, it's a great opportunity," Williams said. "It's what I love to do, so I'm enjoying every single moment of it. ... I believe it just gives you an inside look at who that individual is. Whether it's spending time with them, whether it's formal or informal, being able to spend time with these guys as their coach this week, you just get to learn some things about them, intangibles that you may want to see on their college tape."

• But, Williams wouldn't bite when I asked about who stood out to him Tuesday:

"Let me go back and watch the tape and ask me tomorrow," Williams said with a laugh and a smile.

• Powers-Johnson stood tall -- and wide -- among a strong and deep class of offensive linemen present in Mobile. He is a consensus top-three center in his class, but the other two will not be participating as much as he throughout the week. 

West Virginia center Zach Frazier is practicing without pads and is not going to play in Saturday's game. He confirmed to reporters Tuesday he sustained a broken fibula on the final play of West Virginia's season and isn't cleared for full practice. He said his status for the NFL Combine is still in the air. Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran is not participating this week after originally committing to the event. Both Frazier and Van Pran have been connected to the Steelers in the first two rounds of mock drafts.

• Among the offensive tackles, Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton and Oregon State's Taliese Fuaga were the two most impressive Tuesday. The 6-7, 328-pound Guyton especially drew Tomlin's attention. After a drill of offensive line versus defensive line, Tomlin pulled Guyton aside for a handshake and an introduction. According to the Mock Draft Database, Guyton is projected as a high second-round pick.

"(The interaction was) a dream come true," Guyton said. "He came up to me and told me, 'good job finishing, keep being aggressive.' I didn't expect him to come up to me. I thought it was my coach, but it was Mike Tomlin."

• Wednesday will be the busiest day here in Mobile. Practice for the National team runs from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and the American practice is from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium. There will be a 10-minute window for interviews for reporters on the field following the conclusion of each session. Then, the Senior Bowl Media Day will take place from 4:30 until 6:15 at the Mobile Convention Center. I will be here for everything through Saturday's Senior Bowl game at 1 p.m. at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

• More notes from Tuesday's practice in Mobile can be found in our Steelers Feed.