Jackson Powers Johnson, AKA JPJ, is widely regarded as the best center in the upcoming draft. Should Miami take him if he is available at 21?
JPJ is a 6'3 325 lb center from the University of Oregon. He was a 4-star recruit who played a backup role for the Ducks in his first two seasons until he burst onto the scene in 2023 where the 21-year-old junior won the Rimington Trophy which is awarded to college football's top center.
Jackson Powers Johnson has the size and quickness to excel in Mike McDaniel's wide zone scheme.
Strengths:
- His speed allows him to get to the second level in a hurry, and he is a good blocker in space
- Great hand placement, should rarely get called for holding
- Showed good, if not quite elite, power for the position
- Excellent intelligence. Reportedly called protections at Oregon. Saw just one noticeable mental error through all of the film I watched.
- High potential. As a one year starter, he will improve with more reps and good coaching.
- He has the versatility and size to play guard at the next level
Weaknesses:
- He is raw in pass pro. He has a tendency to be stiff, slow out of his stance at times.
- Needs to work on footwork in pass pro. His run blocking footwork isn't perfect, but it is very good.
- Not a lot of aggression on tape. There are plays where he is aggressive, but I found myself looking for more
- Does not shoot his hands violently. His placement is great, but I found he lacked a punch on many occasions.
Next: Prospect Summary and Grade
Jackson Powers Johnson Prospect Grade
The way I grade a prospect is a combination of his size for the position, his athletic profile, and his strengths and weaknesses. I will take positional value into consideration as well.
100 - Perfect Prospect Guaranteed Hall of Fame
99-95 Perennial All Pro.
94-90 Pro Bowler and considered top 5 in your position.
89-80 Good quality starter in the top 10-15 at your position.
79-75 Low end starter.
74-70 Great back up/borderline starter
69-60 Back up
Prospect Grade: 88
I think JPJ is a bit more raw than most people believe, but he has plenty of growth potential. He has the ideal size and athletic profile for his position. He is a day 1 starter and likely a 10+ year starter and has all-pro potential with his size and quickness if he develops his technique properly. Johnson is young and relatively inexperienced, so good coaching is a must. He isn't super aggressive, but his controlled approach gets the job done. His pass protection is average, with some footwork issues on film. His "plus" play percentage when I broke down his film was 92%. He is a solid NFL starter with a really high ceiling.
Next: How does Jackson Powers Johnson fit in Miami?
Jackson Powers Johnson is a plug and play guard or center in the Miami scheme
JPJ told reporters at the Combine that he would be "honored" to play for Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins. After watching some films from this season, I don't think JPJ would have any issues stepping in at center or guard and starting right away for the Dolphins. The system he was in at Oregon is extremely similar to Miami's.
In the passing game, the ball gets out quickly, so the requirements for pass blocking are simply "get in the way." This is especially true late in the season when injuries began to pile up. In the earlier games when Tua had time to throw, he was lethal. JPJ will be able to anchor down and give Tua time. His technique and footwork are a work in progress, but he is a huge upgrade from Eichenberg or Cotton.
In the rushing attack, his ability to get to the second level is paramount as Connor Williams and Rob Hunt are often seen climbing to linebackers. JPJ is not as consistent as Williams at being able to lock up with linebackers, as he has a tendency to push or wall off instead. This is something he can improve, but the ability to reach the second level quickly is what makes him a solid fit for this team.
NEXT: Breakdown of Jackson Powers Johnson's game film
Breaking Down Jackson Powers Johnson's Game Film: What Stood Out?
Since it is so difficult to get hands-on all-22 film for collegiate teams, I watched the Texas Tech and Colorado games, as well as the PAC-10 Championship against Washington.
In the Texas Tech game, he had a plus grade on 89% of his snaps. Of the 3 games watched, this was his worst game. This was the 2nd game of the season, and even in his "worst" game, he was very good. There were two "WOW" plays. One was a sneak where he exploded with his hands through the nose tackle and got the great push, and the other was a screen where he got out quickly and pancaked a defensive back in space.
Most of his negatives were some footwork issues which are easily correctable and simple mistakes. His worst rep was against an A-gap blitz. He was slow out of his stance and into his pass set and essentially got blown by. This was corrected in another A-gap blitz much later in the game.
Against Colorado, he posted a 93% on my scale. There were some great plays where he got to the second level to spring some nice gains, as well as one mean pancake block in the first quarter. His negatives came a bit later on. He seemed a bit timid or complacent as the game reached blowout levels, and lost a bit of intensity. Not the end of the world.
He posted a 94.9% plus grade on my scale in the PAC 12 Championship Game against Washington. He was nearly perfect in the biggest game of the year. His highlights were a couple of strong reps in pass pro, probably the best he has been in pass pro came against a great defensive front. He also had a play similar to Rob Hunt's touchdown in Miami where he scooped up a fumble and dove into the end zone, though it was later called back.
In the biggest game of his young career, he only had 3 negative plays by my metric. In high school, we want our guys in the 80-85% range, but we're happy with anything in the 70s, for reference. To have such a great game against an elite opponent was very impressive.
NEXT: Final Thoughts
Final thoughts on Jackson Powers Johnson
JPJ, in my opinion, due to his age and relative inexperience, is a raw prospect that is somehow still a finished product. I believe he has the potential to get even better with good coaching, and that is what excites me the most.
He can be a bit sluggish out of his stance in pass protection, and his footwork needs work. I would like to see him drive through his block more and strike with his hands with more ferocity. He also has a tendency to get a bit too tall in pass pro.
He brings great intelligence and very rarely puts a foot wrong, especially run blocking. He has great size and elite speed when climbing to the second level. His double teams were not as devastating as I would have liked, but that easily be corrected.
His hand placement and instincts will limit holding calls against him. He has great positional versatility and would likely play guard in Miami.
I was not impressed with his teammates on the offensive front, so it felt, at times, he was carrying that unit, which is even more impressive.
I really like this kid's game, and I think he has tons of potential. He could be the best G/C in football in a few years with the right coaching and scheme fit. If Miami want him at 21, I believe he will still be there, so it really will come down to how they evaluate him.
Dolphins Free Agency Grades: Jordan Poyer
Dolphins Free Agency Grades: Jonnu Smith
Dolphins Free Agency Grades: Kendall Fuller