While it’s always incredible to have a former player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, Bo Nix isn’t the only Duck who should have been picked in Round 1.
The best center in the nation, Jackson Powers-Johnson, was passed up by multiple franchises in desperate need of a franchise offensive lineman.
One team in particular, the Dallas Cowboys, made a drastic mistake by not bringing Powers-Johnson to Texas.
The Cowboys have one of the best quarterbacks in the country when it comes to a purely statistical standpoint.
However, quarterback Dak Prescott has to continuously fight out of a collapsed pocket and lacks the protection that a franchise quarterback deserves.
The 2023 Rimington Trophy winner @BigJax58 making moves.#NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) March 4, 2024
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Last season, Powers-Johnson led an undeniably talented offensive line for the Oregon Ducks and was awarded the Rimington Trophy for the best center in the country. In other words, he would have been the perfect fit for the Cowboys.
The first mistake that the Cowboys made was trading their 24th overall pick to the Detroit Lions for their 29th overall pick and a third-round pick in the 2024 draft.
As Dallas sat idly by, two offensive linemen were drafted, including former Arizona Wildcat Jordan Morgan and former Duke Blue Devil Graham Barton.
When the Cowboys’ turn finally selected an offensive tackle, former Oklahoma Sooner Tyler Guyton to beef up their O-Line.
Highest Career Pass Block Grades Among Draft Eligible OL💪 pic.twitter.com/nn2u8ifm54
— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 15, 2024
Passing on an all-star center like Powers-Johnson and watching other elite offensive linemen go to other franchises, was a regrettable decision for Dallas.
While Guyton is a great player and should help improve the Cowboys’ offensive line, allowing Powers-Johnson to slip through the first round isn’t the right choice.