Defensive Tackle Jer’Zhan Newton Makes his Presence Felt

Illinois defensive tackle (DT) Jer’Zhan Newton sure looked the part in five games studied from last season.

A nice and mean brute who hits like a sledgehammer.

Newton grabbed me by the throat and pulled me into his game film as few things in life excite me more than defensive linemen who are quarterback-minded. Just as impressive was how he looked against the run.

There’s a lot to be said for a complete defensive tackle.

How did he look pass-rushing?

The only knock I have on him is he looks like two different players. Half the time he looks dominant and the other half the time he doesn’t, but the half the time he does, he is pretty darn good.

Newton is built like a ton of bricks. Solid, thick, muscular, and stout with a low center of gravity. In other words, he can be a real handful for 300+ pound offensive linemen at the point of attack. One would think by this description, yeah, I bet he can bull-rush and he can do that at times, but the thing that raised my eyebrows was his quickness and speed. It’s unexpected and explosive.

He’s more polished as an interior pass rusher than most showing off several pass rush moves, but that swim move, that’s his favorite with his quick and violent hands. He can aggressively slip into a gap and become disruptive in a heartbeat. According to his school website, “Led Power-5 interior defensive linemen in pressures (59), seven more than any Power-5 interior defensive lineman, and ranked seventh overall in the nation, according to PFF.”

59 pressures for a defensive tackle, yeah, I’m good.

How about against the run?

This prospect is not just in it for the glory of the pass rush. No, he is just as hungry, if not even more so for stopping the run.

Newton is a street fighter on the line of scrimmage who is not easy to move out of the way. He uses those hands of his very well to shed blocks and to hammer backs who dare to roam through his gaps. He’s a solid wrapping tackler as runners found out who tried to get away.

His physicality and brute power really shine in this department. Newton is absolutely a three-down defensive tackle.

It’s all about getting to the QB

In a league where 29/32 teams (teamrankings.com) passed more than they ran in 2022, it’s about passing the ball and stopping it from happening.

While there’s tremendous value drafting elite edge rushers in the first-round, there’s arguably even more value in selecting interior defensive lineman who can get to the QB. Pressure right up the gut in the QBs face makes the pocket very uncomfortable in a hurry.

While Newton’s 2023 film has yet to be graded, so far I like what I’m seeing.

#4 Jer’Zhan Newton 6-foot-2, 295 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Summer 2023 Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 63.8% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of September 13, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Game film reviewed (2022): Wyoming, Minnesota, Chattanooga, Northwestern, and Wisconsin (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 59 tackles (28 solo), 5.5 sacks, 3 passes defended

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Strong and muscular interior lineman with power, speed, polished technique, and some inconsistency as a pass rusher in terms of effort. Aggressive nature. Violent. Good hand usage at the point. Gets stalemated half the time and is a force to be reckoned with on the rest of the reps. Showed swim and head fake pass rush moves. Displayed bull rush capability. Flashes great short area burst and good overall straight-line speed. Some hip tightness shows up attempting to make quick changes of direction in the pocket. Against the run loves to play bumper cars with the big boys. Stopping the run is important to him. Does an outstanding job holding down his area and maintaining his balance in heavy contact areas along the line of scrimmage.

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. 2023 pressure and sack production?

2. Level of consistency as a pass rusher?

3. Can he make quick changes of direction?

4. Run defense numbers?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, contributes at Yardbarker, and has written for Sports Illustrated Lions, Jets, and 49ers, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.