Oregon Ducks center Jackson Powers-Johnson discusses preparing for the 2024 NFL Draft at Pro Day in Eugene.
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00:00 - Ooh, not everybody here.
00:02 - This program's got a fair amount of guys,
00:05 including yourself, that are considered,
00:06 you know, early round prospects.
00:08 I'd like to go through this process alongside
00:11 and along with so many teammates.
00:13 - I mean, it's amazing.
00:14 I think it's in the testament to Coach Lanning
00:16 and how he runs things.
00:17 Has a lot of great guys coming out.
00:19 And you're gonna see it throughout the couple years
00:20 that the Oregon program sets you up so much
00:24 for not only just life, but, you know, football.
00:27 Like, I feel like I'm ahead of the game.
00:29 And being around such great people, I mean,
00:31 you see it being around great people,
00:33 with great talent, great coaching, it breeds excellence.
00:35 So, amazing to be here and amazing to, you know,
00:38 be able to represent for Oregon
00:40 and be back here in the U.G.E.
00:42 So.
00:42 - If you get invited to Detroit, will you go?
00:44 - No, no, I'm not that pretty.
00:47 I don't fit in those cool suits like Poe Ralph the Red
00:50 or anything like that.
00:51 So I'll just be on my couch at home in Utah.
00:54 - What was your biggest goal today?
00:57 What'd you wanna get out of today specifically?
00:59 - I just show my athleticism, show that I can, you know,
01:02 I'm good at my position.
01:03 I'm the best at my position for this draft.
01:04 And yeah, just that.
01:07 - It feels like, you know, that opinion is kinda picking up
01:10 some steam nationally.
01:11 What's it like to see your name, you know,
01:13 garnering that kind of respect from people at the next level?
01:15 - I mean, it's awesome.
01:16 I mean, it's good stuff for my mom to see on Twitter
01:18 and Facebook and Instagram.
01:20 She can repost it.
01:21 I think this is kinda good for her and, you know,
01:23 for all the people that really helped me get here.
01:26 So it's definitely special and it's cool seeing your name on
01:30 you know, ESPN, but you know, I gotta keep going.
01:33 Gotta get better.
01:34 - Yeah, with that kind of buzz, how do you respond to that?
01:36 How is it impacting your preparation, if at all?
01:38 - I mean, you just gotta keep going.
01:40 I mean, nothing really changes.
01:42 Like you're a college athlete and same thing.
01:46 You do good things, you're gonna get posted everywhere.
01:47 And if not, you're gonna get posted everywhere.
01:49 So it's just the same thing.
01:50 I mean, if I do something bad and I know James over here
01:52 is gonna be like, what about that snap?
01:54 (laughing)
01:56 It's just the same thing you guys prepared me.
01:58 So it's good stuff.
01:59 - Just preparing you for Chicago or Pittsburgh, Jackson?
02:02 - Yeah, there you go.
02:03 I love it.
02:04 Love it.
02:05 - You said at the combine that you met with those teams
02:07 since they have members of their coaching staffs here,
02:09 including Matt Iberflues.
02:10 How did those meetings go?
02:12 - Oh, they went amazing.
02:12 I'm on each, you know, staff that I met with,
02:15 incredibly nice people,
02:17 incredibly great organizations that I met with
02:19 and had a lot of fun, you know, I just went, was myself,
02:22 you know, not trying to be too tight and, you know,
02:24 just being the cool, easy, funny, smart guy now
02:27 and that my parents raised me to be, so.
02:29 - By chance, did you meet with Denver while you were there?
02:31 - No, I didn't meet with Denver.
02:32 - How much do you interact with Alex about this process,
02:36 but yeah, just what this all is gonna be for you
02:39 over the next month?
02:40 - I mean, quite a bit.
02:41 You know, if I have questions, I can definitely ask him,
02:43 but he's more just, he more just sends me things
02:46 like congratulating me and, you know,
02:47 telling me how proud of he is of me.
02:49 And it's, you know, he's my mentor
02:53 and a guy that I looked up to a ton
02:54 and if I get to be his teammate, that'd be wonderful,
02:57 but he's definitely one of my biggest fans, so.
02:59 - What stood out to you about this process so far?
03:01 - Ooh, what stood out to me?
03:02 I mean, there wasn't a ton that stood out to me.
03:06 Like, as I said before,
03:07 Oregon's prepared me so much for this
03:09 that it's just kind of normal and easy.
03:11 So, I mean, just all the great people I get to meet,
03:14 that's like a cool thing I get to do
03:15 and thing I wasn't, you know,
03:18 particularly thought I was gonna do, so.