SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 26, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Four former Utah college and high school football players were selected Friday night in the second and third rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Las Vegas Raiders used a second-round pick (No. 44 overall) on former Corner Canyon High School star Jackson Powers-Johnson, making him the first player with Utah ties selected in the draft that got underway Thursday night in Detroit.
University of Utah safety Cole Bishop also went in the second round (No. 60) to the Buffalo Bills, joining former Utes teammate Dalton Kincaid — the No. 25 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
BYU and Orem High School star Kingsley Suamataia was selected later three picks later (No. 63) by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, joining head coach and fellow Cougars offensive lineman Andy Reid.
Utah defensive end Jonah Elliss was picked in the third round (No. 76) by the Denver Broncos, the team his father, Luther, played for in the final season of his 10-year NFL career.
No players with Utah ties were selected in the first round Thursday night. The 2024 NFL Draft resumes at 10 a.m. Saturday for Rounds 4-7.
Powers-Johnson, 21, played three seasons at Oregon, and became the first Pac-12 Conference player to win the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s best center in 2023.
The 6-foot-3, 328-pound center was a unanimous All-American and an All-Pac-12 First Team selection in 2023. He started 13 games last season for the Ducks before opting out of the Fiesta Bowl to prepare for the NFL draft. In all, he played in 36 games over three seasons at Oregon.
Powers-Johnson led all FBC centers in overall (84.3) and run-blocking grades (85.2) from Pro Football Focus, and ranked second in pass blocking (90.6) last season. The Draper native allowed just one pressure and zero sacks in 471 pass-blocking opportunities his junior season, anchoring an offensive line that led the nation with just five sacks allowed.
The Ducks’ offense also led the nation in passing offense (346.9 yards per game), and ranked second in total offense (531.4 yards per game) and scoring (44.2 points per game).
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein described Powers-Johnson as “a fierce competitor with a salty disposition.”
“Despite average athleticism, he doesn’t seem to have many issues in pass protection, as he works with clear eyes, a wide base and good discipline to keep his weight back,” Zierlein said.
Bishop, 21 played in 35 games and made 29 starts over three seasons at the Utah (2021-23). He was a three-time All-Pac 12 selection, earning second team honors in 2023, and honorable mention in 2022 and 2021.
The 6-2, 206-pound safety led the Utes’ secondary in total tackles in back-to-back seasons in 2022-23, including a team-leading 83 tackles in 2022. The Peachtree City, Georgia, native had two games of double-digit tackles — both coming against Florida (12 in 2022 and 11 in 2023).
Zierlein described Bishop as “an enforcer with NFL size and toughness for consideration in both down safety and split safety alignments.”
Suamataia, 21, played two seasons at BYU and was an All-Big 12 Conference Second Team selection in 2023 as a sophomore.
The 6-5, 326-pound offensive tackle started 11 games at left tackle for the Cougars before missing the season-finale due to a leg injury. He started 12 games as right tackle as a freshman following a redshirt season at Oregon.
Suamataia was named state 5A MVP at Orem High School in 2020 and helped the Tigers win four consecutive state titles from 2017 to 2020.
Elliss, 21, played in 35 games with the Utes, starting 18. He was a 2023 Consensus All-American and a two-time All-Pac 12 selection, earning first team honors in 2023 and honorable mention in 2022.
The 6-2, 248-pound defensive end started 10 games for the Utes in 2023 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. The Moscow, Idaho, native ended the season with 37 tackles, including a team-leading 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
Elliss’ father, Luther, was an All-American and an all-conference selection at Utah in 1991-94 who played 10 seasons in the NFL — 1995-2003 with the Detroit Lions and 2004 with the Broncos. Luther Elliss, a first-round pick (No. 20) in the 1995 NFL Draft, currently serves as Utah’s defensive tackles coach.
“Jonah plays with a motor that exposes blockers who aren’t finishers,” Zierlein said.
Other former Utah college or high school football players hoping to hear their names called Saturday include:
Sataoa Laumea, Utah
The 6-4, 319-pound offensive guard played in 45 games at Utah and started in 44 consecutive games (19 at right guard and 25 at right tackle). The Rialto, California, native was a four-time All-Pac-12 selection, earning first team honors in 2022, second team in 2022 and 2020, and honorable mention in 2021.
Laumea, 23, played a key role on Utah’s offensive line that finished in the top three in the Pac-12 in rushing offense for three consecutive seasons and led the conference in 2021 and 2022.
“Laumea fits all run schemes and has future starting potential at guard,” Zierlein said.
Sione Vaki, Utah
The 5-11, 210-pound safety played in 26 career games and made 17 starts at Utah while also seeing action on offense.
Vaki, 22, was an All-Pac-12 First Team selection as a sophomore in 2023, finishing with 41 tackles 3.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumble. He also earned Second Team All-America honors from Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News.
The Antioch, California, native played seven games on offense in 2023, turning in big performances in back-to-back games vs. Cal on Oct. 14 (15 carries for 158 yards and two touchdowns) and at USC on Oct. 21 (five catches for 149 yards and two TDs, and nine rushes for 68 yards).
Zierlien’s pre-draft analysis describes Vaki as a “gamer who does whatever is necessary to help his team win.”
Winston Reid, Weber State/Copper Hills High School
The 5-11, 223-pound linebacker is a two-time FCS All-American and two-time All-Big Sky Conference First Team selection after beginning his career as a walk-on.
Reid played in 47 games at Weber State (2017-23) and ended his career ranked second in school history with 170 solo tackles. In all, the former Copper Hills High School star made 281 tackles for the Wildcats, including 28.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He’s also tied for WSU’s all-time record for forced fumbles with nine.
Zierlein described Reid as “smart, consistent and productive.”
“With seven years of college experience, Reid knows the score and understands what the game looks like from the second level. He’s quick to read play design and can prevent blockers from landing flush on him as a run defender,” he said.
Kedon Slovis, BYU
The 6-2, 223-pound quarterback led BYU to five early wins, completing 153 of 266 passes for 1,716 yards and 12 touchdowns with six interceptions before an elbow injury shortened his season.
Slovis, 23, played 46 games and made 45 starts in his collegiate career that included stops at USC (2019-21) and Pitt (2022). In all, he completed 989 of 1,534 passes (64.5%) for 11,689 yards, 80 TDs and 39 INTs.
Zierlein praised Slovis’ size and the timing on his throws but also noted his struggles with deep-ball accuracy.
“Slovis will likely face an uphill battle to make a team,” he said.
