With the 24th pick in the Pod Community Mock Draft, the Cowboys select...

For being “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys have been the butt far more jokes than you may think over the past two decades. Perennially a winner during the regular season, the Cowboys have squandered great falls with terrible winters year after year after year. Since the year 1998, the Cowboys are just 4-12 in playoff games, and they over that time, they have not advanced beyond the divisional round.

That continued again in 2023. After “earning” the No. 2 overall seed in the NFC, they got plastered in the Wild Card round by the Packers. Now, again, Jerry Jones and company have to figure out how to get over the hump that has slowed them for so long.

For our 2024 Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, it will be commenter toreyj01 who will try to help. As acting general manager for the Cowboys, they have the 24th pick in the draft. If you want to see the previous 23 picks, check out our POD Community Mock Draft tracker.

With the 24th pick in the Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft, the Dallas Cowboys have selected Jackson Powers-Johnson, interior offensive lineman out of Oregon.

Here’s toreyj01 with the explanation for the pick:

“Dallas has a few needs, but their identity has always been a team with a rock-solid offensive line. Unfortunately, they lost their center Tyler Biadasz to the Washington Commanders. They also have need at left tackle, running back, and defensive tackle. Fortunately for them, they are drafting Jackson Powers-Johnson, the center from Oregon. He was ranked #1 IOL by PFF, #19 overall. He is NFL ready caliber from the start and winner of 2023 Rimington Award for top center in NCAA football and consensus All-American IOL.

“He can play and excel at center or guard and has even played right tackle as a sophomore at Oregon.”

[Editor’s note: The quotes from Powers-Johnson in this article are from this exclusive interview]

“Knowing everybody’s position and what technique they have to do really helps as a center. You have to make calls for the whole line. When you’ve played all those positions, it makes you make decisions a lot quicker.”

“But no matter what position he plays, he said, ‘I play violently, and I think that translates to the league really well.’

“He was a team captain and only allowed one pressure and zero sacks last year with over 470 snaps. He is a load at 6-foot-3 and 328 pounds (the heaviest center ever at the Combine) but displays a high degree of agility, rated as the top interior offensive lineman for run blocking and second overall for pass blocking at his position.

“On the possibility of being drafted by the Cowboys JPJ said, “It’d be amazing to be drafted by the Cowboys, the rich history of the team, the colors, the uniforms ... Everything about it is special. It would mean a lot to me to have an opportunity to play there.”

“To me, the Cowboys are left with either a fifth or sixth best OT or the absolute best center/guard in NCAAF. Running back is a need they can address Day 2 but this guy can blow holes in the best defensive lines in the NFL. He is a mauler and a blue-chip center who has an extremely high floor and ceiling. His comparison would be to Frank the Tank, and every team would benefit having someone like him on their roster.”