Tag: Johnny Newton

Ravens Would Be Wise to Draft Illinois DT Johnny Newton with first round pick

Ravens Would Be Wise to Draft Illinois DT Johnny Newton with first round pick

There is no shortage of NFL mock drafts these days.
CBS Sports has four different mocks on their page alone, and one of them projects Illinois Defensive Tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton to the Baltimore Ravens with the 30th overall pick. If he does last that long, this would be an excellent selection for the Ravens.
Whether you call him Johnny Newton or Jer’Zhan, everybody called him an All-American this past season, as he was a consensus choice for that honor.
Although he lacks ideal size and length for the next level, he’s a consistent, disruptive force in the defensive interior.
His sacks and tackles for a loss statistics aren’t as flashy as what you’ll see in his next-gen stats, with his quarterback hits and quarterback pressure numbers among the nation’s best for interior defensive linemen.

Pro Football Focus has regarded him a blue chip, sure fire first round prospect for well over a couple years. With the Illini, he comprised one half of what was known as “The Law Firm” and Newton & Randolph. Yes, Keith Randolph and Johnny Newton were arguably the most dominant DT pairing in the nation during the 2022 season, when they helped lead the Illini defense to the lowest points per game allowed average.

The 2022 Illini started the season with a “no name defense” (just like the legendary, perfect season 1972 Miami Dolphins, who had that moniker bestowed upon them by the iconic Tom Landry).

Throughout the season, individual stars emerged, like Devon Witherspoon, who was taken fifth overall by the Seattle Seahawks in last year’s draft and made the Pro Bowl. Witherspoon’s position groupmate, safety Sydney Brown, had an excellent season with the Philadelphia Eagles, who selected him in the third round this past April.

Given their team needs, Johnny Newton is next, and the Ravens would be an ideal landing spot for him. Suppose you peruse the hundreds (or right now, it feels more like thousands) of NFL mock drafts online. In that case, you’ll see a defensive lineman, or more specifically, a defensive tackle, mock the Ravens.

It is arguably their most extensive team need. And Newton, just like Witherspoon and Brown, brings something extra to the table. He was once recruited and coached by Lovie Smith. While yes, the Lovie experiment in Champaign failed, Smith still has NFL chops when it comes to defenders.

Smith’s career is undoubtedly a downturn now, but he is still one of our generation’s better defensive minds (at least on the NFL level). He knows how to find and then coach up defensive linemen.

 

Top DL prospect will miss the NFL Scouting Combine with a foot injury

Top 2024 DL prospect Johnny Newton will miss the NFL Scouting Combine after having surgery on his foot

One of the top defensive line prospects in the 2024 NFL draft won’t be participating in the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. Illinois DT Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton has an injured foot that will prevent him from being able to work out in Indianapolis.

Newton, a likely first-round pick, had surgery to repair a Jones avulsion fracture in his foot, according to draft analyst Dane Brugler of The Athletic. He had the surgery in January and won’t be recovered in time to work out at the combine. Brugler notes Newton should be able to have a pro day sometime later in the draft process.

What is a Jones fracture? It’s an injury to the base of the pinky toe. From UPMC:

A Jones fracture is a fracture of the bone on the pinky toe side of your foot, the fifth metatarsal bone.

This fracture can happen when you increase your training, increase pressure on your feet from gaining weight, or run on uneven surfaces. You can also fracture this bone during lateral (side-to-side) movements or while dancing en pointe, as in ballet.

A Jones fracture often happens near the end of the bone and usually disrupts blood flow. Because the bone gets less blood, your healing time goes up.

Jaguars’ potential 2024 draft targets: Illinois DL Jer’Zhan Newton

Is Jer’Zhan Newton just the player the Jaguars need to shore up their defensive line?

While the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense had its moments early in the 2023 season, the team is still headed into the offseason with plenty of holes on that side of the ball.

Addressing the secondary has been a popular choice for mock draft creators, but additions to the interior defensive line feel equally as urgent.

Despite getting 27.5 sacks from the combination of Josh Allen and Travon Walker, the Jaguars still finished near the bottom of the league in the stat because very little pressure was generated from the interior.

If Jacksonville decides to beef up its defensive trenches, there may not be a better man for the job than Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton. The senior could’ve been an early pick in last year’s draft, but he went back to college for one more try at working his way into the first round. He accomplished his goal.

Should the Jaguars select him with the No. 17 overall pick? Let’s break it down:

Saints invest top picks on defense in updated 2024 mock draft

Mock Draft Monday: The Saints invested their top picks on defense in these updated 2024 projections, but do they really need another corner?

It’s another week and another Monday, so it’s time to review another mock draft. The latest projections from Curt Popejoy at Draft Wire have the New Orleans Saints investing their top 2024 NFL draft picks on defenders — but do they really need another cornerback?

We’re getting ahead of ourselves. Popejoy’s mock draft starts strong with the Saints landing Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton. “Johnny” Newton would be a dynamic playmaker to pair with Bryan Bresee in the middle of the New Orleans interior line; he’s the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in college football and has the athleticism to line up all over the formation.

NFL teams may question Newton’s length by pro standards (he’s listed at 6-foot-2 with 32-inch arms) but he weighs in at 295 pounds and has enough proven production to outweigh those concerns. The Saints should draft him if they can. Malcolm Roach could be leaving in free agency in the spring and their two veteran pickups this offseason, Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders, haven’t fully met expectations on top of the depth chart.

So what about that second-round pick coming back to the Saints from the Denver Broncos? Popejoy made a curious selection here in linking New Orleans to Iowa State cornerback T.J. Tampa. Now, Tampa is a fine player, making full use of his physical tools to break up a lot of passes — Pro Football Focus charting found he has forced 19 incompletions in two years as a starter, and counting. If anything, he’s a little taller than the Saints usually prefer at 6-foot-2.

But what would a boundary cornerback add to the Saints defense next season? Marshon Lattimore is still in his prime, and though Paulson Adebo will be entering a contract year the team already has Alontae Taylor coming along well. They’ve developed other competent backups like Isaac Yiadom, so spending a top-40 pick on a corner wouldn’t be the best use of resources. It’s arguably the strongest position group on their team. Tampa would be a luxury they can’t really afford given protection issues along the offensive line and poor quarterback performance.

So who could be better options in the second round? Here are the next five players to go off the board in this mock draft:

  • WR Xavier Worthy, Texas
  • WR Johnny Wilson, Florida State
  • LT Jordan Morgan, Arizona
  • DT Kris Jenkins, Michigan
  • DE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State

We’ve got a long way to go until the 2024 draft kicks off. The Saints are only halfway through their season, and they’re always more active in free agency while working to address team needs before the draft anyway. If they can’t reach the postseason, it’s worth asking whether they’ll have the decision-makers in the building we expect. Dennis Allen’s job should be on the line if he can’t get the Saints into the playoffs, and that’s far more important than any draft picks waiting to be made six months from now.

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Who are the top defensive tackles for Browns to target in the 2023 NFL Draft?

The Browns are in need of interior help, so who are the best defensive tackles in the 2023 NFL Draft? Cory Kinnan gives his top-10 at this point in the season.

The Cleveland Browns are in desperate need of defensive tackle help. They will need to overhaul their defensive tackle room with the real possibility that none of the current bodies return in 2023. This can happen via trade or free agency, but more than likely young guys will be added to the room by way of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Luckily for the Browns, this looks like a deep class of defensive tackles as last year’s crop was not. Who are the best defensive tackles in the 2023 NFL Draft? Here are my top ten guys who look to make the jump to the NFL this Spring.

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