How one of these two prospects could take center stage for the Cowboys on Day 1 of the NFL Draft

The Cowboys can’t go wrong with either of these players with pick 24.

The Dallas Cowboys need offensive line help. They lost both Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz in free agency and suddenly there are some big holes to fill in the trenches. Of course, the brain trust at The Star didn’t put themselves in this position by accident. The team’s scouting department, led by Will McClay, is very in tune with the layout of talent in the upcoming draft and knows that this is a deep draft class for offensive linemen. What many see as them being painted in a corner is actually the Cowboys letting the draft come to them.

The Cowboys have 25 players scheduled for pre-draft visits so far, but only five of them are projected to go in the first round:

• Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State (projected to go 14th overall)
• Byron Murphy, DT, Texas (19th)
• Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington (20th)
• Jackson Powers-Johnson, OC, Oregon (24th)
• Graham Barton, OL, Duke (27th)

Not surprisingly, four of them are offensive linemen with Texas’ star defensive tackle, Byron Murphy, being the odd man out. There are two really good offensive tackles listed here who just so happen to be my favorite tackles in the draft. Not only are they from my neck of the woods in the Pacific Northwest (including Fuaga who is a fellow Beaver alum), but they are super athletic players who look like stars in the making.

Having one of these guys fall to 24 would be a dream start to the draft for the Cowboys, however, we’re not holding our breaths. If one of the tackles the Cowboys truly covet doesn’t make it to them in the first round, that’s okay because the two best collegiate centers could be right there for the choosing.

Jackson Powers-Johnson and Graham Barton are projected to come off the board late in the first round. Both of them are great players and would become immediate starters for any NFL team. Selecting one of them would give the Cowboys an upgrade at the center position and fortify an interior offensive line that sandwiches the new rookie between All-Pro’s Zack Martin and Tyler Smith. While either would be great to have, which one would you prefer?

Jackson Powers-Johnson, OREGON (projected to go 25th overall)

Powers-Johnson only has one year as a starter, but boy did he impress in that year as he was the college standout center for 2023. Before that, he was a backup guard who moved around as needed, even playing one game at defensive tackle for the Ducks in 2021. Here is the draft profile for Powers-Johnson:

Draft Profile: A nimble mover, JPJ has a nice combination of size and athleticism to excel at the next level. He’s quick to position himself, and quick to go from one position to the next. He shows good footwork and is fun to watch in space as he loves to truck people. He stays low and gets under the shoulders to secure blocks, but also churns his legs and drives on the defender, finishing strong. He has only one year as a starter and his fundamentals are still a work in progress, but his 2023 season shows promise of becoming one of the better centers in the NFL.

Graham Barton, DUKE (projected to go 26th overall)

Barton is far more experienced than Powers-Johnson as he has 39 college starts under his belt compared to just 17 of Powers-Johnson. The Duke star started out playing center his freshman year but is so talented that they moved him to the most important lineman position, left tackle. He’s been a stud LT for the past three years, so whatever team drafts him will get a versatile player. Here is the draft profile of Barton:

Draft Profile: He’s a powerful blocker that once he gets into your chest, it’s over. He doesn’t have very long arms, but his hand usage and grip strength allow him to latch on and take you for a ride. He can be a little top-heavy and his balance seems off at times, but his footwork is good enough to get himself re-positioned to sustain blocks. He processes well, picking up delayed pressure and adapting to the scene well. He’s a hard worker with a fight mentality. His overall strength and athleticism make him one of the top interior offensive lineman prospects in this draft.

Conclusion

Despite only starting for a year, Jackson Powers-Johnson is the most ready-made talent at the center position in this year’s draft class. He has all the traits to develop into one of the most efficient centers in the league. On the flip side, Graham Barton has the raw athleticism and strength to be a better player overall, but it might take him a bit longer to develop into that player. You can’t go wrong with either pick, but the Cowboys love position flex and are always compelled to steal some uber-upside in the draft, and Barton fits more with that line of thinking.