A Draper native, Jackson Powers-Johnson is the youngest of four children who showcased his athletic abilities right from his high school days. He was a three-year captain at Corner Canyon High School where he led his team to three consecutive undefeated seasons and state championships. He took his talent to Oregon in 2021 and recorded 714 pass-blocking snaps while allowing zero sacks. 

Entering the draft, Powers-Johnson became the first player from Oregon to go to Las Vegas since the 1970 AFL/NFL Merger. The Las Vegas Raiders drafted one of the best centers in the 2024 NFL draft on Friday with their 44th overall pick. Although a powerful center at 6’3, 328 pounds, he’s not without judgment and after his draft, he addressed them once and for all.

Jackson Powers-Johnson addresses health rumors 

While a lot of people are impressed with his field abilities, some rumors about his health issues have surfaced leading him to clear the air on the topic. As per what The Athletic’s Dane Brugler previously reported, although one of the nation’s best interior offensive linemen, JPJ has also suffered injuries including multiple concussions. According to a recent X post by Jesse Merrick, “#Raiders guard JPJ says he’s 100% healthy and ready to go.”

After being drafted by the Raiders, he spoke to the media via Zoom addressing the health rumors saying, “I think it’s funny, because I have no health issues. It’s not true. I’m 100% healthy, I’m ready to go and I’m feeling great.” According to what he stated, any other words out there stating he’s not at his best aren’t true. Fans can either choose to believe in the rumors or hear and clarify their speculations straight from the source. But the Raiders seem to have found a valuable weapon in Powers-Johnson. 

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How will Jackson Powers-Johnson fit with the Raiders?

While nothing is certain now, the Raiders’ plan for Powers-Johnson might be to move him to the guard position in his rookie season. And the 21-year-old doesn’t mind where his team wants him to be as he said, “I’m just excited. Anywhere the Raiders want me to play, I’m going to play. If they want me to throw the ball, I’m going to throw the ball.” The versatility of JPJ is a plus point for the Raiders as he played as both center and guard in college. He even had one game played as a defensive tackle. 

As NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of JPJ, “He has good size, exceptional quickness and steady balance. In pass pro, he sets vertically and is able to catch and absorb versus power rushers… In the run game, he uses his upper-body power to torque/turn defenders, generating a lot of movement at the point of attack.” Last season, Powers-Johnson started all 13 games and broke the Pac-12 record as the first player to win the Rimington Trophy, the award given to the nation’s best college football center. Hopefully, he’ll carry the success he had in high school and college to the pro league.