With the Pro Bowl now in the rearview there’s only the Super Bowl left on the calendar of the 2023 season before everyone moves on to 2024.
The 30 teams who aren’t going to be competing for a Lombardi Trophy have already flipped the page and have begun their preparations for the upcoming season, which starts with free agency and the draft.
This time of year, NFL mock drafts are coming out every day, and NFL.com’s Eric Edholm recently released his first of the year, which had the Miami Dolphins selecting Oregon offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson with pick No. 21.
Here’s what Edholm had to say about the potential selection:
“Mike McDaniel’s offense could use an upgrade on the interior offensive line, and I believe Powers-Johnson has the movement skills and acumen to be effective inside at either guard or center. There’s not a ton of worry about the hamstring strain that caused JPJ to drop out of the Senior Bowl being a long-term issue.”
All three of Miami’s starters on the interior (Isaiah Wynn, Connor Williams and Robert Hunt) are set to hit free agency, and with their current cap situation, the Dolphins would be best suited to find some young, affordable talent in the draft to help bridge the gap for years to come.
Powers-Johnson was a standout at Senior Bowl practices before suffering that injury that Edholm mentioned, and he had a strong final season at Oregon last year.
According to Pro Football Focus, Powers-Johnson was the top center in college football last year, posting an 84.3 grade. In his three seasons with the Ducks, playing four different positions (left guard, center, right guard and right tackle), he allowed just four pressures and zero sacks in 758 pass-blocking opportunities.
That sounds like a guy who would fit well in Miami.