Tag: Johnny Newton

Saints attend first-round DT Johnny Newton’s pro day

The Saints were one of many teams attending first-round DT Johnny Newton’s pro day. He’d be a great addition next to Bryan Bresee:

The New Orleans Saints continue to do their homework in the trenches prior to draft day. Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report reported that the Saints were one of many teams in attendance for Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton’s pro day.

Newton would have been worked out last month with the rest of his Illinois teammates at the school’s pro day, but opted to have foot surgery to repair a partial Jones fracture, pushing his pro day to Tuesday, April 16.

Newton, at 6-foot-2, 304 pounds is an athletic specimen along the defensive line. His hand usage at the point of attack to go along with his ability to bend around offensive linemen makes him one of the premier players at the defensive tackle position this year. Over his last three seasons at Illinois, Newton compiled 16.5 sacks and over 150 tackles, which shows the level of production he can potentially bring to a team as well.

With the Saints still very much in need of talent across the defensive line, Newton would be a great addition next to last year’s first round pick defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. Having these two side-by-side would not only provide some much needed pass rush but it would also shore up the position for the next 3 or 4 years.

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Texans land pass-rushing DL, ball-hawking DB in Mel Kiper’s new 2-round mock draft

The Houston Texans finalize what could be a top-10 defense thanks to the addition of two Big Ten standouts in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft.

Defensive tackle and cornerback remain the biggest needs for the Houston Texans to address entering draft weekend following a promising free agency period.

According to the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper, both areas are shored up in the second round as long-term staples for the reigning AFC South champs.

Even without a first-round pick, the Texans secure a Day 1 talent at pick No. 42 with the selection of Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton.

This is Houston’s first pick in the draft after it moved out of Round 1 via last month’s trade with the Vikings. It owns the No. 59 pick as well. Newton is one of the best interior pass-rushers in this class. He had 7.5 sacks last season, which was the most in the FBS from a defensive tackle. The Texans signed Folorunso Fatukasi to a one-year deal this offseason, but they also traded away Maliek Collins, creating a void at the position.
Newton entered the year as the top defensive tackle prospect. He lived up to the hype with 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, but he also underwent foot surgery prior to the NFL combine and did not run drills in Indianapolis.
From a pass-rushing standpoint, Newton fits what the Texans covet up the middle. The Texans love defensive tackles with the ability to pass-rush and create pressure. Sheldon Rankins, who inked a one-year deal last offseason, finished with six sacks. Collins finished with five sacks and 13 quarterback hits.
Newton, who finished his Illini career with 18 sacks, was a hot name linked to Houston at pick No. 23 before the Texans traded out of the first round. He should compete with Denico Autry and Fatukasi for pass-rushing reps on third down.
Even after adding two top-10 picks in Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson, Houston could benefit by adding a nickel defender to compete alongside Desmond King. At pick No. 59, the Texans find their long-term slot defender as Kiper has them landing Michigan’s Mike Sainristil.
Sainristil is the best slot cover corner in this draft. He had 6 picks, 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles for the national champs last season. Houston signed veteran Desmond King to play as its nickelback, but I don’t think he is guaranteed to make the Week 1 roster. At 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, Sainristil just makes plays. I’d want him on my team.
Sainristil, a converted receiver-turned-cornerback, isn’t positionless, but he’ll make plays wherever lined up. In 2022, he finished second among Wolverines with seven pass breakups along with an interception.
A two-time team captain, Sainristil was the anchor of a top-five secondary that guided Michigan to its first national championship in over two decades. His six interceptions ranked third among FBS players, trailing only Wisconsin’s Ricardo Hallman and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 34, Illinois DL Johnny Newton

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Illinois defensive lineman Johnny Newton.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers have invested heavily in the defensive line during the past two NFL Drafts. Brian Gutekunst selected Devonte Wyatt in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and drafted Lukas Van Ness in the first round the following year. Along with those two first-rounders, Gutekunst has selected Kingsley Enagbare, Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks over the past two years.

With those young pieces in place alongside Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and TJ Slaton, the Packers have the makings of a formidable defensive line for first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

If the Packers opt to add another defensive lineman in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft a potential target is Johnny “Jer’Zhan” Newton. The Illinois defensive tackle checks in at No. 34 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown. 

A three-star recruit, Newton recorded 1.5 sacks during his first season in Champaign. The following season the Florida native recorded 50 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In 2022, Newton recorded 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

This past season Newton was named the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year after he recorded 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Newton also blocked four kicks. 

“Johnny Newton’s impact was clear during the Wisconsin game,” Jeremy Werner, the publisher of the IlliniInquirer.com, said. “When he was in the game, Illinois had a 21-10 lead as Newton wreaked havoc on the Wisconsin backfield, totaling six tackles, four pressures, three quarterback hits and one sack. But after he was ejected for a controversial targeting penalty with about 10 minutes left, Wisconsin tore up Illinois for two long touchdown drives to win the game 25-21. That’s just one example. Newton during his last two years was the most disruptive interior defensive lineman in college football, totaling 103 quarterback pressures during the last two seasons, by far the most at his position. That interior pressure helped a talented secondary in 2022 — which included top-70 draft picks Devon Witherspoon, Quan Martin and Sydney Brown — make plays on the ball. Newton also was known as one of the hardest workers on the team and was a respected team captain and from all accounts a great teammate. He also barely came off the field, which helped his team immensely, even playing on field goal defense and blocking an Illinois record four kicks last season.”

Newton explodes out of his stance to quickly get upfield. Over the past two seasons, Newton recorded 103 pressures and 13 sacks. He has a deep bag of tricks to win as a pass rusher and when his first move doesn’t work he has plenty of counters up his sleeve. Newton closes in on the quarterback like a bull chases down a matador. With his initial quickness and power, Newton can overwhelm offensive linemen. 

“Newton is one of the quickest 305-pounders you’ll see,” Werner said. “He was a great running back in high school and he kept that quickness and burst after adding 60 pounds at Illinois. But when you see him, there’s not much bad weight on him and he’s strong as an ox. He often gets off the ball before offensive linemen who know the snap count, and he’s quicker and stronger than most of them. Secondly, Newton is a master technician. He’s got heavy hands and sets up his blockers well for his quick hand-fighting. He also has the strength to bullrush linemen effectively. He just has a lot of answers with his physical talent and advanced technique. Lastly, Newton has a great motor. He played 749 snaps last season, by far the most among defensive tackles in the country, yet he seemed to get better as the game dragged on.”

Newton is more of a disrupter than a roadblock. With his quickness and strength, he’s quickly able to cross the offensive linemen and disrupt the action in the backfield. Newton has powerful, active hands.  The Florida native has the lateral quickness to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage and has a non-stop motor. 

“I think what makes Newton a better prospect than Calijah Kancey last season is his strength against the run,” Werner said. “Newton can sometimes be overaggressive and get out of his gap, but he is strong at the point of attack, and if he’s in a one-gap scheme, he disrupted that gap more often than not in college. He’s a smart player and can be versatile, playing the five-technique, the 4i shade and the three-technique at Illinois. Of course, he’s not the longest player, so that could be a concern for some teams. But his quickness, strength and technique should allow him to be an above-average run defender at the next level.”

Fit with the Packers

The Packers don’t have a pressing need to add another piece to the defensive line. However, a team can never have enough quality pieces up front and Newton is a highly disruptive player that can bolster Green Bay’s pass rush while making splash plays against the run.

“He was one of the most productive and disruptive defensive tackles in the country during the last two years in a conference that prides itself on offensive line play,” Werner said. “He’s not that long, but he’s not small either, and he is a gifted physical player who has taken coaching and improved immensely every year of his career. He’s also still got upside as he doesn’t turn 22 until Aug. 31. The character is there too as coaches praised him as one of the hardest workers and best leaders on the team. He took younger guys under his wing while he was in Champaign too. To add to his motivation and maturity, he also is the father of a one-year-old girl.  As long as his foot injury checks out as a non-issue, I think he’s worth a first-round pick and think a team would be getting great value if he slipped to the second round.”

With his quickness of the snap and raw power, Newton has all the tools to be a three-down force. If the Packers drafted him he could serve as a dominant rotational piece. If he’s on the board when the Packers are on the clock with the 25th pick he may be too talented for the Packers to pass up.

Broncos mock draft roundup: Quinyon Mitchell joined by 2 quarterbacks

After quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix, the next most popular pick for the Broncos in NFL mock drafts is cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

As we draw closer to the 2024 NFL draft, it’s time for another Denver Broncos mock draft roundup. Landing a quarterback is, of course, a popular option for the Broncos, but if Denver opts to go in a different direction, a cornerback has emerged as the clear non-QB favorite in mock drafts.

Here are the latest mock draft picks for the Broncos in recent projections:

In the 22 mock drafts sampled, five have J.J. McCarthy (including two trades), six have Bo Nix (including two trades) and five have Quinyon Mitchell. Terrion Arnold and Dallas Turner were featured in two mocks and Brock Bowers and Johnny Newton were picked in one mock each.

The Broncos hold eight picks, including 12th overall in the first round. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Devon Witherspoon gives scouting report on Illinois DT Johnny Newton

He comes from the same tenacious defense that spawned Seattle’s first selection in last year’s draft, gremlin slot corner Devon Witherspoon – who should have won Defensive Rookie of the Year.

One of the most popular prospects in the 2024 NFL draft class that’s been frequently connected to the Seahawks and their No. 16 overall pick is Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton. He comes from the same tenacious Fighting Illini defense that spawned Seattle’s first selection in last year’s draft, gremlin slot corner Devon Witherspoon – who should have won Defensive Rookie of the Year.

In any case, Newton says that he’d love reuiniting with Witherspoon and playing together on the Seahawks. It sounds like Spoon wouldn’t mind it, either. Replying to a thread between former Seahawks scout Jim Nagy and ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, Spoon gave a short scouting report on Newton.

The clip Spoon is referring to is below, where Newton breezes past the right tackle and chases down Minnesota QB Athan Kaliakmanis for a sack.

Here’s a longer video with more highlights from Newton’s time at Illinois.

We certainly wouldn’t hate seeing Newton get drafted by Seattle. However, after re-signing Leonard Williams to a significant new contract, the chances of the Seahawks spending a first-round pick on an interior defensive lineman probably dwindled significantly. While we certainly can’t rule it out, we are expecting the team to address other positions first.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Ranking all 32 NFL teams after 2024 free agency

Every NFL team’s biggest move to start free agency

2024 NFL mock draft: Post-free agency projections

Grading first wave of Seahawks free agent signings

Saints get Bryan Bresee a tag-team partner in TD Wire’s post-combine mock draft

In this post-combine mock draft, the New Orleans Saints picked a new tag-team partner for Bryan Bresee in Illinois DT Johnny Newton:

How did the NFL Scouting Combine shake up everyone’s plans for the 2024 draft? In this post-combine mock draft from Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar, the New Orleans Saints picked a new tag-team partner for Bryan Bresee in Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton at No. 14 overall.

Newton, who went by Jer’Zhan in college, didn’t participate in athletic testing at the combine while recovering from Jones fracture  surgery in his foot — he’s expected to work out at his pro day in April — but he did meet with teams and by all accounts left a good impression.

And he checked every box at weigh-ins, which matters for a team that sticks to its athletic prototypes like the Saints. Newton weighed in 6-foot-1 5/8 and 304 pounds, with 32 3/8-inch arms and 9 1/2-inch hands. For comparison, at last year’s combine Bresee weighed in at 6-foot-5 and 298 pounds with 32 1/2-inch arms and 10 1/4-inch hands (though the Saints listed his weight at 305 pounds during the season). Netwon is shorter than Bresee with a slightly lighter frame (75-inch wingspan versus Bresee’s 78) but he passes the thresholds the Saints have maintained since Jeff Ireland took over their scouting department.

More than any of that, Newton is an outstanding football player. He appeared in 47 games at Illinois and finished his career with 27.5 tackles for loss and 18 tackles for loss, batting down 5 passes at the line of scrimmage while forcing 3 fumbles (recovering 2 of them). Pro Football Focus charting found he generated 43 quarterback pressures in 2023 after posting 59 of them in 2022. He’s highly disruptive and gets into the backfield in a hurry.

So he could be a good addition in New Orleans. Newton anchors better with his lower body than Bresee did coming out of college, so he could play more heavily on running downs while they both get on the field in obvious passing situations. If Malcolm Roach leaves in free agency there should be plenty of snaps to go around for the two of them, plus veteran defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders.

The complicating factor: Newton has played the same three-technique alignment that Bresee fills in New Orleans, so he’d be trying new things and moving around the formation more often than he did in college. The Saints do need to look for another upgrade on the interior line after allowed the 11th-most rushing yards per carry and per game last season, but they might be looking for a different type of player than Newton, given his many similarities to Bresee. But if he’s the best available prospect when they’re on the clock in April, the coaching staff can figure out a way for everyone to coexist.

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Johnny Newton would love to team up with Devon Witherspoon again

One of the top DL prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, Newton spoke about what it would be like to play with Witherspoon again.

The Seattle Seahawks turned plenty of heads during the 2023 NFL draft when they selected Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at No. 5 overall. Instead of addressing the biggest need at defensive line, Seattle opted to bolster their secondary. At the time, many questioned the logic.

Doubters quickly fell by the wayside once we all got to see Witherspoon in action. Arguably the best defensive player on the Seahawks last year, Witherspoon made a name for himself as a rising defensive star in the league. One player who would certainly like to take the field with Witherspoon is his former Fighting Illini teammate, Johnny Newton.

Considered one of the top defensive line prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, Newton spoke about what it would be like to play with Witherspoon again.

As I mentioned previously, defensive line was a major liability for Seattle going into last year and it proved to remain as such throughout the season. The Seahawks need to build considerably better depth up front. Perhaps adding Newton into the mix could help slow down opposing rush offenses… as well as giving a morale boost to their young star in the secondary.

More Seahawks Wire stories 

Projecting Seahawks starters for Week 1 of the 2024 season

Seahawks prospect meeting tracker for 2024 Scouting Combine

Seahawks updated roster and depth chart going into free agency

Seahawks trade down, target QB of the future in 2-round mock

Seahawks prospect visits tracker for the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine

Here’s where we will be tracking reports of Seattle’s meetings with various prospects at the 2024 Scouting Combine.

Yes, pretty much every prospect meets with every NFL team in some form or another during draft season. Nevertheless, each year the Seahawks wind up drafting a couple of the players who they met with, either at the combine or an All-Star game or a virtual visit, so it’s worth keeping track.

Here’s where we will be tracking reports of Seattle’s meetings with various prospects at the 2024 Scouting Combine.

Seahawks trade down, target QB of the future in this 2-round mock draft

2024 NFL Draft: Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton scouting report

Don’t let his size get in the way of the evaluation — Illinois DL Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton is a first-round talent with monstrous upside.

The 2024 scouting combine is right around the corner, which means that it’s time to take a more critical and detailed look at this year’s draft prospects. With that in mind, we here at Touchdown Wire are doing as many thumbnail scouting reports as possible before the combine gets going on February 29. We will of course be doing more comprehensive reports before the draft, but here’s a good starting point.

Next man up here is Illinois defensive lineman Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton, who now goes by a new first name, but the game is the same, and it’s pretty ridiculous. 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 will 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-foot-2, 295) 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.

Lions 2024 Draft Prospect of the Day: Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, DT, Illinois

Newton probably won’t fall to the Lions but he’d be a perfect fit in Aaron Glenn’s defense

The Lions Draft Prospect of the Day features arguably the top interior defensive lineman in the 2024 NFL draft.

The focus is on players who should hold some appeal to the Lions in the draft, with a focus on the more likely positions the team will be targeting. If you’re looking for quarterbacks or upper-echelon running backs, you’re probably not going to find those here. Outside cornerbacks, defensive linemen, interior offensive linemen, some wide receivers and offensive tackles figure to appear along the path to April’s draft. Not all of the players will be top-100 prospects, either.

Today’s prospect is a wrecking ball of a defensive tackle who unfortunately won’t be participating in next week’s NFL Scouting Combine due to injury.

Johnny Newton, DT, Illinois

Height: 6-2

Weight: 295 (listed by Illinois)

Jer’Zhan is now officially recognized as “Johnny,” and he’ll also be widely known as one of the top defensive talents in the NFL draft class of 2024. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year was a two-time first-team All-American and a finalist for several defensive postseason honors. He led all collegiate interior linemen in QB pressures as a senior with 44, 15 more than any other Big Ten DT.

For his four-year career at Illinois, the Florida native racked up 188 tackles, 28.5 TFLs and 18 sacks. He was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten performer off the field and a team captain for Illinois. Newton recently had foot surgery that will keep him idle at the NFL Scouting Combine, but he is expected to make a full recovery before the draft.

 

What I like

  •  Explosive burst off the snap
  • Great natural knee bend and pad level
  • Powerful hands and shoulders to jolt off blockers
  • Excellent 2-step closing burst to the point of attack
  • Can win over either shoulder of interior OLs with a barrage of pass-rush moves
  • Plays with violence and passion
  • Showed real progress at shedding blocks and finding the ball as a run defender
  • Rarefied open-field speed for a DT
  • Played through a Jones avulsion fracture in his foot without showing signs of being limited
  • Consistently disruptive against all types of blocking schemes

What worries me going into the NFL

  •  Doesn’t play with a lot of base strength or anchor against the run
  • Would rather try to keep getting around than going through a blocker
  • Can get caught off-guard by traps and pulls
  • Doesn’t consistently wrap up on tackles and can bounce off attempts
  • Frame appears maxed out
  • Will try to do too much at times if he’s not successful early in a game
  • His size limits him to playing almost exclusively as a 3T in a 4-man front in the NFL

Best game I watched: Penn State

Worst game I watched: Purdue in 2022

Overall

 Newton offers up so much to like as an interior defensive force. His playing style and movement skills remind me a lot of former No. 3 overall pick Gerald McCoy as a prospect. Like McCoy at Oklahoma, Newton is productively disruptive on his own but also elevates the play of everyone around him. 

I don’t expect Newton to last to the Lions at the 29th pick, but his recent surgery and the rise of so many WRs and OTs leave the door cracked open. Newton would be an instant starter next to Alim McNeill and immediately impact the interior pass rush with playmaking consistency. He should be a top-15 pick.

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