2024 NFL Draft Player Preview: Johnny Newton

Johnny Newton, 6-2/295 Defensive Tackle Illinois

Career Recap: Former Illini head coach Lovie Smith is a disciple of the Tampa 2 defense and legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin. One of the premium positions for the Tampa 2 scheme is a three-technique defensive tackle who can generate an interior pass rush. That position was made famous by Hall of Fame Warren Sapp for the Buccaneers, and many Tampa 2 disciples are always on the lookout for a quick inside rusher. Hence, Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton was a recruiting target for Smith. Smith was then able to land the three-star recruit out of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Newton made his debut in the covid-shortened 2020 season, recording 1.5 sacks, 23 tackles, one forced fumble and 1.5 tackles for a loss. In 2021, Newton made his presence felt more with three sacks, four tackles for a loss and 50 tackles. He was even better for the Fighting Illini in 2022, recording 5.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, 62 tackles, 11 quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries.

2023 Season Outlook: Newton will see some decent offensive lines in 2023, and he should be able to take advantage of some of them. Perhaps the toughest test will come against Penn State in Week 3, as the Nittany Lions have a star running back and a lot of young talent on their offense.

Skill-Set Summary: A quality interior pass rusher is one of the toughest things for an NFL team to find, so there should be plenty of franchises salivating at the idea of adding Newton to their rush package. He is a legit interior pass rusher who can collapse the pocket and bring the pass rush into the face of the quarterback.

Newton is impressive pass rusher who is athletic and twitchy at the point of attack and has a burst to fire his gap. With developed strength and active hands, Newton will slap hands off of him and use his speed to dart past blockers. He displays a real burst to closem and there is no doubt that he is a fast interior rusher. Newton has fluid hips that help him slide away from blockers and dart into openings to get after the quarterback. While Newton has a stocky build, he can really run fast for a big man and has a good motor. Newton has the potential to be an excellent interior pass rusher in the NFL and produce some quality sack numbers while contributing a number of hits, pressures, and hurries that could help set up his edge rushers to notch sacks as well.

In the ground game, Newton is strong and tough at the point of attack. He plays low and can hold his ground. Newton shows speed to run to the flat and will make tackles out of his gap. With a relentless attitude, Newton does not quit on plays, and he will chase down backs downfield.

The question that team sources have about Newton, and it may not find a clear answer in 2023, is if Newton can hold up well when facing against mass. In the NFL, he is going to consistently see guards who are a few inches taller and much heavier. Thus, evaluators could be left wondering if Newton will get worn down and overwhelmed over four quarters from taking on downhill runs with larger offensive linemen trying to push him around. The pro ground game is where his lack of height, length and weight could be problematic.

Heading into his senior year, there are some traits that could make Newton more of a mid- to late first-round or second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, rather than a top-10 selection. The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder has a short, stocky, sawed-off build. Teams that want more height and length in their defensive linemen will feel that Newton has a unique build instead. NFL sources who have watched Newton in person summed up his body as “feels short, thick, wide, kind of funny.”

Newton plays with real intensity and tenacity, providing a big-time presence for his defense. Sources say the Illini staff rave about Newton as a kid with good work ethic and character.

2024 NFL Draft Expectations: Entering the 2023 season, Newton looks like he could have the potential to be a first- or second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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