2024 Mock Draft Round-Up 2.0: Where Oregon Ducks fall ahead of NFL Combine

The Rams get one of the steadiest players in the draft. Powers-Johnson can anchor their offensive line for the next decade.

The Chiefs get a big-time vertical complement to 2023 rookie sensation Rashee Rice.

Sean Payton is desperate for help after parting with Russell Wilson in this hypothetical and missing out on the first four quarterbacks off the board. Nix has the experience and intelligence to be a good fit in Denver.

This looks good on an offensive lineman’s résumé, folks: Zero sacks allowed on 714 career pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. Powers-Johnson steps right in at center, filling a void for Miami.

Powers-Johnson was incredible for Oregon this past season and then went down to the Senior Bowl and looked like one of the best players on the field. Among the many traits that stand out about JPJ is that when he gets beat — and that doesn’t happen often — he can recover quickly enough to keep his quarterback clean. He’s the best center in the draft and addresses a big position of need in Jacksonville.

This one might be a surprise, as the Steelers have backed Kenny Pickett — whom they took at No. 20 two years ago — this offseason. But they also said they plan to add competition for him in the quarterback room. Quarterback picks in this range are often polarizing, but my fundamental mindset is the Steelers’ ceiling with Pickett under center is too low for a franchise with a standard that is not simply making the playoffs but making deep runs. Pittsburgh has lost five straight playoff games.

Nix blends sharp accuracy with some razzle-dazzle (something he has refined during his college career after transferring from Auburn) and an ability to quickly scan the field to deliver the right read. He set the FBS single-season record for completion percentage in 2023 at 77.4% while throwing 45 touchdown passes to three interceptions.

With Russell Wilson expected to be released, the Broncos are on the hunt for a new franchise quarterback. Nix is coming off a solid showing at the Senior Bowl, where team scouts raved about his interviews and the work he did in practice. Nix, who started for three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022, is experienced and pro-ready, and he has the accuracy (nation-leading 77.4% completion rate) and second-effort mobility to work well with coach Sean Payton’s scheme. This might feel early for Nix, but quarterbacks always rise, and scouts keep telling me that he is going to get drafted earlier than expected.

Powers-Johnson, who was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl before leaving midway through the second practice with a hamstring injury, has a great combination of agility and size. The 334-pounder would immediately be one of the largest centers in the NFL, but he moves like someone 20 pounds lighter. He is a downhill blocker, but Buffalo would love his size in the middle of an offensive line that has renewed its commitment to running the ball.

Let’s give new quarterback McCarthy some friends in the passing game. Franklin is a vertical threat with awesome speed and a 6-foot-3 frame. He grabbed 14 touchdowns in 2023 and picked up 1,383 yards on 81 catches. With 31% of his routes classifying as deep routes, Franklin is ready to stretch the field in the NFL.

The Seahawks just fully guaranteed Geno Smith $12.7 million for 2024, and while that doesn’t mean he’ll definitely be on the roster — he could still be traded — it seems as though new head coach Mike Macdonald will be rolling with the veteran QB. Now he needs better protection, as the Seattle offensive line was among the worst in the NFL last season in quarterback pressure percentage and pass-blocking grade. Plus, all three of the team’s interior offensive linemen are set to become free agents. Seattle addresses one of those needs with another Senior Bowl standout in Oregon center Jackson-Powers Johnson.

Center and cornerback are the Steelers two biggest draft needs so we opt for the top center in the entire draft instead of the fifth-best cornerback. Jackson Powers-Johnson is a mauler and 10-year starter in the league from day one.

We finally sneak another quarterback into the first round with Oregon’s Bo Nix to the Bucs. We believe Nix has a higher ceiling than other pundits and love his versatility at the NFL level.

The Chiefs could go with an offensive tackle here if one of the top ones falls but without that, Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin makes a lot of sense. As much as Rashee Rice has come along, the Chiefs offense needs a deep threat like Franklin.

Jacksonville, at 17, could use a center, as could a few teams behind Pittsburgh (including Miami at 21).

The best offensive player at the Senior Bowl, Powers-Johnson will be position-limited in the NFL, but his athleticism, power and IQ — at just 21 years old — make him a candidate to walk in and start next year.

It’s possible Nix hears his name in Round 1. His week in Mobile earlier this month didn’t squash concerns about velocity or middle-of-the-field comfort,  but he’s a seasoned, smart, athletic player who would make things interesting while New England figures out what to do with Mac Jones.

Most NFL fanbases wouldn’t truly appreciate the selection of a top center prospect in the first round. The Pittsburgh Steelers are built differently, because center is a legacy position from Ray Mansfield to Mike Webster to Dermontti Dawson to Jeff Hartings to Maurkice Pouncey.

Considering the Steelers hired Arthur Smith to serve as offensive coordinator this offseason, Pittsburgh can expect a return to a rough-and-tumble, run-based scheme, with Powers-Johnson being the type of talent to dominate at the point of attack. Running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren would be the biggest beneficiaries of this selection, but Powers-Johnson would also help take the onus off a suspect quarterback setup.

Throughout the season, the story remained the same: The Kansas City Chiefs needed to find someone at wide receiver. Well, they did with Rashee Rice, who improved each week, became a reliable option for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and finished second among all rookies with 938 receiving yards.

From there, the Chiefs’ wide receiver options are suspect. That’s exactly why the position should remain a primary target this offseason.

More than anything, Bo Nix proved at Oregon that a coach can build a successful offense around him. But how far can Nix take the offense beyond its constraints? That looms large.

Nevertheless, in Sean Payton’s offense, Nix would thrive. He’s an accurate distributor and energized creator with effortless arm elasticity, pre-snap intelligence, and MOF anticipation.

There’s little doubt now that Jackson Powers-Johnson will be the first interior offensive line off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. And he could go as early as No. 16 to the Seahawks.

The 6’3″, 330-pound Powers-Johnson immediately fills a void in Seattle’s offense and has the athletic traits, physicality, and age-defying veteran savvy to be an instant stud.

Troy Franklin may need to acclimate to NFL physicality, but he has the athletic profile of a prime Robbie Anderson and can be utilized in various ways in Todd Monken’s scheme.

In Bowen’s new scheme, Brandon Dorlus brings a unique stand-up capable presence at 6’3″, 272 pounds, with the menacing power profile to cave in tackles opposite Kayvon Thibodeaux.

As a weapon who can work through tight creases with his energetic short-area agility and prying balance or infuse explosives in the passing game, Bucky Irving presents exciting value.

The Buccaneers may end up re-signing Baker Mayfield in free agency, but if they decide to go another direction (or if they do re-sign him and still want a longer-term succession plan), Nix makes a lot of sense. He’s not super flashy, but the former Ducks star is hyper-efficient, takes care of the ball, and can add some playmaking ability with his legs.