Category: 2024 scouting combine

Dallas Cowboys select Western Michigan DL Marshawn Kneeland with the 56th overall pick. Grade: A+

Western Michigan DL Marshawn Kneeland gives the Dallas Cowboys all kinds of interesting possibilities along the defensive line.

For me, Marshawn Kneeland was one of the most fun players to watch in this class. I have a weakness for violent defensive linemen who can win from every gap, and Kneeland qualifies. I compared him to Za’Darius Smith as a big end who can also get it done everywhere from three-tech to nose shade, and Kneeland will give Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer all kinds of interesting possibilities. 

Marshawn Kneeland, who starred in football and track at Godwin Heights High School in Wyoming, Michigan, took his game to Western Michigan and became a force for the Broncos’ defense in 2020, with four sacks and 13 total pressures on just 91 pass-rushing snaps. Through four seasons, Kneeland kept that high pass-rush rate up, and in 2023, he had a career-high six sacks and 37 total pressures. At 6′ 3″ and 267 pounds, Kneeland also put up 38 solo tackles and 35 stops in 2023, and he had a strong Senior Bowl week as an exclamation point to his good game tape.

Every defensive coordinator wants a guy who plays like his hair is on fire at all times, and Kneeland certainly qualifies. He’s a multi-gap disruptor with a ton of upside, and I’m betting that a lot of NFL evaluators will set aside any small-school biases when discussing his professional potential.

PLUSES

— Gap-shooting edge-rusher who can quickly work from outside the tackle to the center, and will move to the pocket quickly.

— Can win everywhere from an edge alignment to head-over nose tackle.

— Relentless disruptor who works from snap to whistle.

— Stacks and sheds quickly and powerfully; his 83⅜” wingspan (90th percentile for edge-rushers) allows him to establish dominance from the snap.

— Brings extra juice as an off-ball “spinner” who can time rushes and work to the quarterback in a hurry.

— Has a dynamite spin move to disengage from blockers who slow him down.

MINUSES

— Kneeland’s frenetic style will have him missing targets in the backfield at times.

— Could stand to have more of a plan with his hands to knife through double teams and penetrate through more adept opponents.

— Must keep his leverage together to avoid being blocked out too easily by tight ends and running backs.

— Prone to biting on action and misdirection in the backfield.

— Strength of opponent is a legitimate concern in a transitive sense, though the tape shows more than enough NFL potential.

Kneeland has a fabulous playing personality — if there’s a play anywhere near him, he’ll do everything he can to kill it with fire. There are a few points of precision to deal with when he gets to the NFL level, but he’s an ideal multi-gap disrupting prospect in the next phase of his career.

Indianapolis Colts select Texas WR Adonai Mitchell with the 52nd overall pick. Grade: B+

The Colts get a potential X iso receiver in Adonai Mitchell, if Mitchell can keep himself engaged when he’s not getting the ball.

My only concern about Adonai Mitchell is that when he’s not getting the ball, he’s not always the most interested guy on the field. But if Colts head coach Shane Steichen can keep Mitchell engaged, he’ll be rewarded with a bigger receiver who can run all the little-guy routes, and can just kill cornerbacks with speed cuts. The Colts had a bunch of good receivers without a true alpha dog; perhaps Mitchell will be able to set himself apart. 

Adonai Mitchell was a four-star recruit from Cane Ridge High School in Missouri City, Texas, and he chose Kirby Smart’s Georgia program over offers from multiple major programs, and an original commitment to Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss program. Before the 2023 season, he transferred to Texas to be closer to his daughter, who was being raised by his parents while he attended school.

Between Mitchell, Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas quarterbacks certainly weren’t lacking for targets in the 2023 season. And Mitchell, who caught 55 passes on 86 targets for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in his first season with the Longhorns after those two seasons at Georgia in which he was underutilized, proved to be the most complete receiver of that impressive group.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Mitchell ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, and that is well in line with the explosive nature of his play. Last season, he bagged eight receptions of 20 or more air yards on 22 targets for 302 yards and three touchdowns, and with an NFL team in possession of a more credible deep passing game, that reception total could easily double sooner than later.

Able to beat cornerbacks over the top as well as he’s able to scorch defenders on quick hitches and slants, Mitchell is a few little tweaks away from true No. 1 receiver status at the next level. The upside is pretty fierce here.

PLUSES

— Great vertical speed, but it’s Mitchell’s speed cuts that will put defenders in blenders; he can cut and re-set at full speed without losing ground, which is a rare attribute. That speed also allows him to cross a cornerback’s face before the cornerback knows what to do about it.

— Sinks into his breaks on digs and slants like a five-year NFL veteran; he’s really well-formed and practiced as a route-runner overall.

— Can be a YAC addition to a receiver room with open space in front of him; Mitchell is especially tough to deal with on hitches and comebacks.

— Has an extra gear in the open field, and will accentuate it with subtle movements as deep defenders converge.

MINUSES

— Mitchell’s contested catches are made more through speed and separation than force; you can take him out with physicality to a degree.

— Let’s just say that he’s not the first guy you’ll have in mind when it comes to blocking for other receivers on screens and run plays.

— Not especially physical in traffic. He doesn’t dry up and blow away with defenders converging, but it’s not an attribute.

— Had just 11 explosive receptions last season, but I could see that total double in the right NFL offense; there were only so many deep balls to go around with Texas’ roadrunners.

Mitchell is one of My Guys this year. I love his ability to get free with moves that a lot of NFL receivers haven’t mastered yet. As long as you scheme him into space to a point and let him cook, he can be a devastating explosive weapon. Not a small guy at 6′ 2¼” and 205, and if he can develop a bit more dawg in him, he absolutely has X-iso potential at the next level.

Washington Commanders select Michigan DB Mike Sainristil with the 50th overall pick. Grade: A

Michigan DB Mike Sainristil gives the Commanders what every modern defense needs — a do-it-all slot weapon.

If you’re yelling at the Commanders because they took a slot defender in the middle of the second round, pull your head out of 1999, and move it to 2024. In today’s NFL, if you don’t have at least one good slot guy, your defense is in big trouble. Michigan DB Mike Sainristil took his receiver skills to the defense, and became a tone-setter in the Wolverines’ national championship defense. He should be that same kind of tone-setter pretty quickly in the NFL.

A composite three-star prospect out of Everett High School in Everett, Massachusetts, Mike Sainristil was a star receiver and cornerback who chose Michigan and totaled 37 catches on 69 targets for 541 yards and five touchdowns in his time with the Wolverines. Sainristil brought that receiver’s understanding to his role as a primary slot defender, capping out in Michigan’s national championship season of 2023 with 29 catches allowed on 50 targets for 412 yards, 206 yards after the catch, four touchdowns, six interceptions, six pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 71.8. He also had 29 solo tackles, 18 stops, two sacks, and 11 total pressures.

In today’s NFL, you need at least one slot defender if you want your defense to work, so don’t pass Sainristil by just because he’s limited to the inside. He’s a smart, tough, aggressive, scheme-transcendent player who can work into an NFL roster right away.

PLUSES

— Quick closer to the receiver, and has a better eye for the ball than a lot of receivers do.

— Can lay in the weeds and jump routes with excellent timing and ball skills. Six INT and six PBU in the 2023 season.

— Matches the receiver through the route in press and off coverage, and has the easy speed to work through them.

— Understands and responds to switches and route combinations. Very heady in the open field.

— Outstanding hitter for his size; he’ll come down and lay the wallop, and a lot of his pass deflections come as a result of that.

— Great blitzer who shoots gaps like a running back, and is quick enough to get to the quarterback at an angle from the slot.

MINUSES

— Size (5′ 9½”, 182 pounds) will limit him to the slot at the next level.

— Has a tendency to leave too much cushion on angular routes, leading to easy completions he has the talent to prevent.

— Not a run defender of note; he gets blocked out too easily and his tackling is more made for receivers than running backs.

— Frenetic play style will have him biting on movement and action in the backfield.

— Will lose physical battles with tight ends and bigger receivers off the snap and up the seam.

We’re past the eras in which slot defenders were thought of in a pejorative sense; in a time when nickel is the new base defense, if you don’t have at least one good slot guy against a plethora of 3×1 and empty sets, your defense is going to be in trouble. Sainristil projects as a plug-and-play slot man with some hybrid safety potential, and I think that gives him a lot of equity in the eyes of NFL evaluators.

Carolina Panthers select Texas RB Jonathon Brooks with the 46th overall pick. Grade: B+

Texas’ Jonathon Brooks gives the Panthers a three-down back, and a true offensive weapon.

Fanbases of positionally needy teams tend to rend their garments when those teams take running backs early in a draft, but Texas’ Jonathon Brooks is no ordinary back, and he is the top player at his position on my board. His combination of size, speed, scheme-transcendent running style, and production gives the Panthers the every-down back they need. Brooks is an explosive play waiting to happen, and the Panthers need that desperately, wherever it comes from.

Jonathon Brooks was a four-star recruit out of Hallettsville High School in Hallettsville, Texas, and he chose the Longhorns after wanting to attend Texas A&M, but the coaching staff there reportedly thought he was too small, so that was that. Brooks had limited opportunities in his first two collegiate seasons, but that changed in 2023, when he rushed 187 times for 1,135 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brooks had 16 runs of 15 yards or more and he forced 63 missed tackles on those 187 carries, which is a pretty good summary of his playing personality.

Now, Brooks isn’t a pure power runner at 6′ 0⅜” and 216 pounds; he’s more versatile than that. But I do wonder if he’ll be downgraded by some NFL teams because he doesn’t have a pure headbanging style on the field.

PLUSES

— Can win in gap and inside zone concepts, but Brooks is an expert outside zone runner with quick vision and reaction to gaps, and the speed and acceleration to pick up extra yards outside.

— Vision and acceleration extends to the second and third levels, where he’ll change directions in a flash to get out of traffic from linebackers and safeties.

— Has the patience when needed to wait for blocks to develop, and then, it’s off to the races.

— 732 of his 1,135 rushing yards in 2023 came after contact; his 6′ 0⅜”, 216 pound frame shows up as a positive to a point in power situations.

— Brings an impressive arsenal of jukes and jump cuts, especially when running inside.

— Has some juice and YAC potential as a receiver out of the backfield, and the athletic traits to extend that to the slot.

MINUSES

— Most of Brooks’ yards after contact are created through speed and wiggle and defenders ankle-tackling him on the way to paydirt; he’s not a Derrick Henry-type bulldozer.

— Brooks’ NFL team will want to talk to him about better pass-blocking pretty quickly. He’ll bounce off blocks when he needs to engage.

— More smooth and gliding than aggressive and powerful.

— Brooks isn’t going to win a lot of scrums where he comes out of the other end of a dogpile at full speed.

Maybe you’d like a back of Brooks’ size to understand a bit more how to use that size to overwhelm defenders. On the other hand, guys this size with his juice to and through the open field don’t grow on trees. Any NFL team leading with outside zone as the fulcrum of its run game would be quite happy with what Brooks brings to the table.

Green Bay Packers select Texas A&M LB Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th overall pick. Grade: A+

In Edgerrin Cooper, the Packers get the best linebacker in the 2024 draft class.

10 years ago, Edgerrin Cooper would have been selected in the first round, and nobody would have given it a second thought. Even with the devolution of perceived linebacker value in the NFL, Cooper ideally fits the modern prototype with his straight-fire speed, awareness to the ball, and ability to do everything from killing run fits to excelling in coverage. New Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s job will be to mitigate the rogue elements of Cooper’s hell-bent style with the richness those attributes bring to the field.  

Edgerrin Cooper was a four-star recruit from Covington High School in Covington, Louisiana who played running back and linebacker, and was also a track star. If you’ve watched his tape, Cooper’s track background will not surprise you one bit. He chose the Aggies over Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M and started to become a force in 2021.

Last season, Cooper had 10 sacks, 27 total pressures, 58 solo tackles, 56 stops, and 17 tackles for loss. He also allowed 14 receptions on 16 targets for 132 yards, 125 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 101.0.

When you watch Cooper’s tape, you may be forgiven for thinking that somebody sped it up, until you realize that everybody around him is moving at a slower rate. Cooper’s field speed is a plus/plus attribute, and it shows up everywhere. It’s the extent to which he’ll be able to work through some size and awareness issues that will determine his NFL potential.

PLUSES

— Dude is FAST all over the field. 93rd percentile 40-yard dash (4.51) and 88th percentile 10-yard split (1.54) are blatantly obvious on the turf.

— Can just scald to the pocket as an edge defender or as an off-ball blitzer; Cooper moves like a cornerback when he’s bringing extra pressure.

— Shoots gaps to the backfield and can be a TFL machine. Strong and aggressive for his size; he’ll throw running backs around.

— Comes down on screens and other short passes to lay the wood.

MINUSES

— Missed tackles and whiffs happen a bit too often; it’s a part of any Pantera playing style, and he’ll be even better if he can clean it up.

— Needs to slide off blocks as opposed to engaging physically; 230 pounds is 230 pounds. Tight ends will seal the edge against him… if they can catch up.

— Opportunistic tackler who will occasionally get a bit too “creative” with his technique.

— Cooper will need to strike a balance between going nuts to the ball on every play and the discipline required for consistent short and intermediate coverage. Has all the athleticism needed to work the seam, but there are times when you’re not sure what he’s doing out there.

Cooper has been one of my favorite players to watch in this draft class, regardless of position. And his athletic profile fits what most teams want in an every-down linebacker these days. He’ll be all over the place at times when he gets to the NFL, but with the right kind of coaching, he could be an ideal guided missile.

Las Vegas Raiders select Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson with the 44th overall pick. Grade: A+

With the 44th overall pick, the Las Vegas Raiders get Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, the best center (and best interior lineman) in this class.

The Raiders haven’t had a franchise-level center in a while, and while it’s too early to say that Jackson Powers-Johnson has the grit to match Jim Otto and Dave Dalby, he’s certainly the best center (and the best interior lineman) in this class. Imagine a combination of phone-booth bricklayer and versatile athlete on the move, and that’s who Powers-Johnson is. The Raiders could move him to guard to take advantage of that skill on the move, but I’d keep him inside where he dominated the Pac-12. 

A consensus four-star recruit out of Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, Jackson Powers-Johnson chose Oregon over BYU, Liberty, Missouri, Nebraska, Utah, Utah State and Washington State. He played in 11 games as a true freshman in 2021, adding a bit of time at defensive tackle. Powers-Johnson’s first start for the Ducks didn’t come until November 19, 2022, against Utah, but Powers-Johnson was more than ready for that, and he continued to prove it in 2023.

Powers-Johnson became the first Pac-12 player in conference history to win the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s best center, and he received First-Team All-American honors from  the AFCA, the Associated Press, the FWAA, the Sporting News, and Walter Camp.

In 2023, Powers-Johnson allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and one quarterback hurry in 497 pass-blocking snaps. Over his three seasons with the Ducks, Powers-Johnson gave up no sacks, one quarterback hit, and three quarterback hurries in 758 pass-blocking reps. Add that to his run-blocking tape and his work on the move, and Powers-Johnson isn’t just plug-and-play for the NFL; he could well display All-Pro potential from his first step on the field.

PLUSES

— Powers-Johnson’s combine weight of 328 pounds is 98th percentile for centers, and he carries it well, Big frame, wide butt, and no wasted pounds. It’s all coming right at you off the snap, Slappy.

— Looks to exert physical dominance on every snap in the run game; that’s his default mechanism. He doesn’t just want to take you out of the play, he wants to embarrass you.

— Good movement skills to get upfield; keeps his head on a swivel and doesn’t seem overmatched in space.

— Upper-body strength is impressive; Powers-Johnson can take a defender by the pads and just shake him into oblivion.

— Aggressive hands allow him to deflect and defeat rushers; Powers-Johnson can take a head-over nose tackle and just obliterate him.

— Mobile and agile enough to win on pulls and at the second level.

MINUSES

— While Powers-Johnson moves well in space, he isn’t going to make anybody forget Jason Kelce as a move center. He can be pre-determined with his landmarks and will occasionally let a defender through.

— Needs to work on moving with defenders crossing his face and stunting; tends to attack what’s right in front of him. More of a lunger and grabber when he’s challenged laterally.

If I’m taking a guard or center in the first round, I need to see obvious physical and mental dominance at the position(s). No issue here — Powers-Johnson is a plug-and-play center in any scheme, and that tape is fun to watch. Let’s get nasty!

Arizona Cardinals select Rutgers CB Max Melton with the 43rd overall pick. Grade: A

In Rutgers CB Max Melton, the Arizona Cardinals get a first-round talent in the second round.

The Cardinals are about as bereft of talent at cornerback as they are at most other positions on the roster, and in Rutgers’ Max Melton, they get a borderline first-round talent in the second round. Melton has a bit of work to do to stay in phase downfield, but he has all the athletic attributes to match and carry receivers wherever they go. A likely first-day starter, Melton might take a few lumps at first, but the playing profile says, “Starting island cornerback.”

Max Melton comes from an athletic family. His father Gary played wide receiver and running back at Rutgers from 1987-91, and his mother Vicky, competed on the Rutgers women’s basketball team from 1989-93. Melton’s older brother Bo also played for the Scarlet Knights, was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 draft by the Seattle Seahawks, and caught 18 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers last season.

Max Melton might have the highest profile in his family when all is said and done. A receiving and rushing star at Cedar Creek High School in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County, New Jersey, Melton chose Rutgers as an obvious family proposition, and had his best of four collegiate seasons in 2023. Then, he allowed 24 catches on 44 targets for 252 yards, 72 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 65.7.

The 5-foot-11, 187-pund Melton is a bit under the radar as an outside cornerback in this class, but the tape shows an instinctive match defender with great athletic attributes.

PLUSES

— Natural match-and-carry cornerback in any scheme — zone/man, press/off.

— Will run foot-for-foot with any receiver; Melton has a frenetic playing style, but he’s able to keep it under control for the most part.

— Gave Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka all kinds of hassles vs. Ohio State.

— Smooth in his transitions and backpedal, and has excellent ball skills for deflections and interceptions.

— Can handle choice routes and other option concepts from the slot.

— 4.39 40-yard dash shows up on the field, as does the 40½” vertical jump and the 136″ broad jump (all high-percentile)

— Melton can get from Point A to Point B in a hurry, and he’s explosive to the ball when he gets there.

MINUSES

— Tackling is… well, a work in progress. He’s not going to get through blockers, and his tackling style is more pestering than truly bothersome.

— Doesn’t really have a concept of run fits.

— Recovery speed is nice, but he’ll give receivers too much of a cushion at times, which he doesn’t need to do.

— More of a man coverage expert; he’ll occasionally get a bit lost in zone.

Melton is a fascinating prospect. As a pass defender, he’s as sticky as anyone in this class. As a run defender, he doesn’t really look like he wants to be out there at all. I’m not sure how much his NFL coaches will be able to develop that killer instinct. I’m also not sure how much it matters, because his tape against the pass tells an important series of stories.

New Orleans Saints select Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry with the 41st overall pick. Grade: A

Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry allows the Saints to do all kinds of interesting things with their coverages.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen and defensive coordinator Joe Woods must be pinching themselves to get McKinstry in the second round. The Alabama alum is a scheme-transcendent pass defender who is a natural in press and man/match concepts. This allows Allen and Woods to do a lot of interesting stuff with the three-CB group of McKinstry, Paulson Adebo, and Marshon Lattimore. 

A five-star recruit from Pinson Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama, Ga’Quincy “Kool-Aid” McKinstry chose the Crimson Tide over Clemson, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Auburn, and LSU. A high school basketball star who practiced some with the team in college, McKinstry finally gave his full time to football in 2022, but he had already made his mark as a rotational cornerback by then.

Last season, as Terrion Arnold’s bookend, McKinstry allowed 19 catches on 39 targets for 205 yards, 83 yards after the catch, one touchdowns, no interceptions, four pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 73.1. He played through some of his final season with a Jones fracture in his right foot, though all indications are that he’ll be ready for his first NFL training camp.

PLUSES

— McKinstry is about as concept-transcendent as any cornerback in this class; equally adept at press and off coverage at a time when a lot of college cornerbacks are short in press reps.

— Ideally though, he’s a press cornerback who’s at his best when he’s right up on the receiver, matching through the route. He’s got all the technique for that.

— Excellent when playing bail up the boundary; he’ll make the receiver go where he wants the receiver to go with inside/outside positioning.

— Lateral agility allows him to match foot for foot with receivers off the snap; that’s not where you’re going to lose him.

— Has some juice as a blitzer off the edge.

MINUSES

— Could be a bit quicker to match up on coverage switches and crossers. Recovery speed is nice, but he needs it a bit too often.

— Tackling against the run game is a real adventure.

— Has the size and athleticism to win on 50/50 balls, but his timing to go for the ball needs to improve.

— Can get a bit delayed in zone concepts; he’s at his best when everything is in front of him and he controls the action.

— Low interception total is more about his hands than anything else; McKinstry could do with a few JUGS drills, and this applies to his potential as a return man as well.

If you’re in the market for a good-sized, aggressive cornerback who can win consistently in single-high match and man concepts, McKinstry could be your ideal flavor. Those teams playing more zone stuff might hesitate, though McKinstry certainly has the athletic traits to play just about anything.

Philadelphia Eagles select Iowa DB Cooper DeJean with the 40th overall pick. Grade: A

Iowa DB Cooper DeJean is the perfect multi-position foil for Vic Fangio and the Eagles.

People in and around the NFL won’t shut up these days about “Fangio guys” and “Fangio schemes.” Well, the real Vic Fangio is Philly’s new defensive coordinator, and he has a perfect foil for his concepts in the person of Cooper DeJean, who has legitimate skills at outside corner, slot, and STAR. With Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell as the Eagles’ first-round pick, and Darius Slay as Mitchell’s bookend, I would expect Fangio to use DeJean as his situational “floater,” and play more man than expected as he did in Denver when he had Patrick Surtain II as his primary man in the secondary. 

Cooper DeJean was a four-star recruit from OA-BCIG High School, which includes four local towns (Odebolt, Arthur, Battle Creek and Ida Grove) in Odebolt, Iowa. He played quarterback, receiver and defensive back in high school, and he was also quite the basketball player. Iowa was DeJean’s first FBS offer, and that’s where he went.

In 2023, his third season on the field for the Hawkeyes, DeJean was a leader in Iowa’s top-tier defense, allowing 20 catches on 46 targets for 194 yards, 44 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and an an opponent passer rating of 37.8 — which means that opposing quarterbacks had as much luck throwing the ball into the dirt as they did targeting him.

Unfortunately, DeJean suffered a lower leg injury in mid-November, which ended his 2023 season early and will prevent him from working out at the combine. But as they say, tape don’t lie, and DeJean’s tape is full of compelling reasons to take him seriously as a first-round cornerback prospect who can shut things down outside and in the slot,

PLUSES

— Opposing offenses kept trying to beat him with comebacks and stop routes in off coverage, and he kept making them look silly with outstanding recovery speed.

— Tremendous in bail coverage where he’ll work back to or though the receiver to take the ball away.

— Expert route-jumper.

— Rarely played press in his 2023 targets, but has most of the skills to match and follow.

— Closes with nasty intentions on screens and swing passes.

— Times his hits to deflect and has no issue whatsoever getting grimy in the run game. Tough guy.

MINUSES

— Might take a second to become a great press cornerback at the NFL level; he’ll get a bit lost at the top of the route stem.

— Tracks the ball as a receiver would and is able to throttle up and down accordingly, but he could be better at keeping his eye on the receiver.

— Hesitates at times to match targets; this may because he played an inordinate amount of off coverage. His NFL coaches should work on DeJean trusting his technique through the rep and not thinking too much.

As good as DeJean was in college, I think there’s some unlocked potential as a press/match DB. Hopefully, he’ll go to an NFL team that just wants him to hunt. I’m not convinced that he’s an automatic safety prospect in the NFL by default.

Washington Commanders select Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’zhan) Newton with the 36th overall pick. Grade: A+

The Washington Commanders got the best defensive tackle in this class in Johnny Newton, and Dan Quinn will unleash hell with him.

Newton was my best defensive tackle in this class, and one of the defensive players. I know that some teams were worried about the Jones fracture in his foot, but he played through it last season and still destroyed just about every offensive lineman he faced. New Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is one of the NFL’s most creative minds in terms of defensive line deployment and scheme (Quinn’s Cowboys led the league in stunts last season), and this match of team and player had the potential to be absolutely incendiary. 

A three-star recruit from Clearwater Central High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jer’Zhan Newton (who has since changed his first name to Johnny) chose Illinois under head coach Lovie Smith over several other programs, and excelled under defensive coordinator Aaron Henry in a defense that has recently put a lot of talent in the NFL, including Seattle Seahawks 2023 first-round cornerback Devon Witherspoon and Philadelphia Eagles 2023 safety Sydney Brown.

In 2023, his fourth year on the field with the Fighting Illini, Newton totaled eight sacks, seven quarterback hits, 28 quarterback hurries, 32 stops, and 33 solo tackles, At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds (unofficial), Newton can disrupt just fine inside, but he also saw 25% of his snaps last season either over or outside the tackles, and he brings an interesting set of techniques to foil blockers on the edge.

Newton should be seen as among the best interior defensive linemen in this draft class, though he can do much more. He did not work out at the combine due to a Jones fracture in his foot — which he played through the second half of his junior season… which makes his 2023 tape all the more impressive.

PLUSES

— Capable of pressure from every gap; spends most of his time at 3-tech, but he’s a disruptor all over the place.

— Gets skinny through gaps like a running back would; gets it done with more than just pass-rush moves.

— Violent with his hands to push through blocks with ridiculous speed — Hits the edge with burst around the turn; can beat tackles with edge techniques.

— Can run multiple gaps at the snap and has good vision to penetrate.

MINUSES

— Size deficits (6′ 1⅝, 304) show up when he’s doubled and can’t break free.

— Slides will have him lost in the wash and trying to recover at times.

— Needs to be less upright off the snap more often; that’s where he loses leverage.

I’ve always had a bias for smaller defensive tackles who can move around. Newton could wind up being another one of those Geno Atkins-style agitators if he gets his leverage together and devises strategies to beat double teams. Overall, about as fun a player to watch as I’ve seen in this draft class.