According to the proverbial wisdom that neglecting history leads to its repetition, the Pittsburgh Steelers are hoping for a recent positive history to repeat itself. In the latest NFL mock draft by Luke Easterling of SI.com’s All NFL Draft, he predicts the Steelers will choose Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson with the 20th overall pick.
While it’s still early in the draft evaluation process, Powers-Johnson is being likened to former Steelers All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey. Easterling notes that the Steelers might opt for an offensive tackle in the first round for the second consecutive year, but there’s also a need for an upgrade at center. The anticipation is that Powers-Johnson, with his potential reminiscent of Pouncey, could contribute to establishing a robust ground game, aligning with the preferences of the new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith.
Drawing parallels to Maurkice Pouncey, who achieved first-team All-Pro honors twice and second-team All-Pro three times in his 11-year career, SB Nation’s Michael Beck sees Powers-Johnson as possessing similar potential. Beck reminisces about the immediate positive impact Pouncey had on the Steelers’ offense when drafted and expresses belief in Powers-Johnson’s capacity to bring about a comparable boost.
