There is no hiding the Pittsburgh Steelers need a center in the 2024 NFL Draft. While this is obvious to anyone who is paying attention, the big question is who, and when, the Steelers select their next lynch pin on the offensive line.

For the majority of the offseason the national media, and Steelers fan base, have thought the top center in this draft class was Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson (JPJ). Powers-Johnson had a tremendous workout at the Senior Bowl before leaving with a hamstring injury, but something is happening ahead of the draft at the end of April. JPJ’s stock is starting to drop some.

This is common leading up to the draft, and is often times a product of agents doing what they can to help elevate their client and improving their draft stock. But whatever the reason, in an article talking about the buzz surrounding the draft, ESPN’s Matt Miller is hearing scouts say JPJ isn’t the consensus No. 1 center as many believe.

This from ESPN:

“In talking to scouts over the past two weeks, it sounds like teams are not as high on Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson as the media consensus. JPJ had a strong early performance at the Senior Bowl before leaving the second practice with a hamstring injury. It was that early impression that saw him rise up draft boards. He followed that up with a good showing in position drills at the combine but didn’t participate in most of the other drills — he did only the bench press and vertical/broad jumps — before shutting it down. The feedback I’ve received from teams is that while he might go in the first round, it’s unlikely that he would be selected in the top 25 picks based on where teams are ranking him.”

When you take a look at positional rankings, I took a look at ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest rankings and he too didn’t have JPJ as the top center in the upcoming draft class. Take a look at his rankings below:

1. Graham Barton, Duke
2. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
3. Zach Frazier, West Virginia
4. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Georgia
5. Tanor Bortolini, Wisconsin
6. Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
7. Matt Lee, Miami
8. Drake Nugent, Michigan
9. Dylan McMahon, NC State
10. Hunter Nourzad, Penn State

At this point, many fans are wondering who would be the best fit for the Steelers and feel it comes down to JPJ vs. Frazier. When it comes to this Powers-Johnson vs. Zach Frazier debate, our own KT Smith broke down the film and analyzed which was a better fit for the Steelers. Check out the breakdown:

What do you believe after these reports? Typically, where there is smoke, there is fire. But there are often times when some of these reports are not based on anything of any substance. Let us know what you think in the comment section, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the 2024 NFL Draft and the rest of free agency.