A high NFL draft prospect who plays interior offensive lineman likens his style to that of Adele and Celine Dion. That is, his game of choir.
One of the more intriguing draft prospects this week at the NFL Scouting Combine has to be Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon.
Prospects typically like to brag about their size, speed, and strength, but Powers-Johnson took the time to dissect the advantages and disadvantages of the hamburger bearing his name at a bar in Eugene.
He praised the virtues of deep-dish pizza, launched into a SNL sketch about the Chicago Bears, and even thanked his sister for securing him a spot in the gospel choir, where he sings alto parts for Dion and Adele.
He’s more of a tenor than a George Strait guy, for the many readers who are undoubtedly intrigued.
Even if Powers-Johnson isn’t a top-tier chorister candidate, it’s quite unlikely that he will advance past the first round of the NFL selection held next month. Previously a standout guard at Oregon, he made the switch to center last season and only gave up one pressure in his new role.
As the nation’s top offensive lineman, Powers-Johnson was awarded the Rimington Trophy, and he became the first player from Oregon to be selected as a unanimous All-American since—you guessed it—Penei Sewell.
In his senior year at Oregon, Sewell also took home the Rimington Trophy. In the 2021 draft, Detroit selected him eighth overall.
Sewell joined the Lions as an immediate sensation, has appeared in the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, and was selected to the first team of the All-Pro team this past season.
Star center Frank Ragnow and seasoned left tackle Taylor Decker are also back for Detroit, but there are growing needs on that potent front.
In less than two weeks, guards Graham Glasgow and Jonah Jackson will become free agents; Decker is entering the last year of his contract;
and Ragnow is still playing despite an inoperable toe problem that necessitates a workable backup plan at center.
He remarked, I’m giving myself a lot of credit. I wasn’t very good.
