Cover Corner Josh Newton

TCU cornerback (CB) Josh Newton is what I think of when I hear the term ‘cover corner.’

This is a cornerback who excels in pass coverage but is reluctant to get involved in tackling support. He can do it if push comes to shove, but clearly on game film in 2022, he would rather not. I mean there are active runs when he completely backs off.

Newton has gotten some first-round love from some mainstream draft platforms. Draftwire, NBC Chicago, Sporting News, CBS, Fansided, and The Athletic have all tagged Newton with an opening-round grade in the 2024 NFL Draft.

While I like Newton, I am not quite there yet for four main reasons:

1. He gets a little lazy or looks like he is guessing at times in coverage (and gives up catches).

2. A little hip tightness shows up on film.

3. Again, he is too reluctant to provide tackling support.

4. He did not show recovery speed.

Outside of those four things, Newton looks like a solid No. 2 corner on an NFL roster. I need to see his 2023 film before putting a final grade on him. That will push me in one direction or another.

I need to see ‘lockdown shutdown’ to go first-round.

What’s his best trait?

Aggressiveness.

Newton excels in defending passes.

He has ball instincts and he gets physical in coverage. While I am not making the comparison, in this way he reminds me of Devon Witherspoon (2023: Seahawks first-round No. 5).

Oddly enough, Newton and Witherspoon are about identical in size too. Newton checks in at 6-foot-0, 190 pounds, and Witherspoon is 6-foot-0, 185 pounds.

While he has seven career interceptions (five college seasons), this TCU cornerback has 34 passes defended in that same time span.

Ballhawk numbers.

Those stats also speak to his aggressiveness. There’s a lot to be said about this trait at any position, but especially at cornerback.

What does he look like on film?

Sometimes Newton lines up in off-man coverage (lining up a few yards off the wide receiver pre-snap) and more often, he’s in press-man coverage (comes right up on the wide receiver directly across from him pre-snap).

I didn’t see as much of him in zone coverage (dropping into a general cover area and being assigned to whoever comes into that area).

He is attentive to his receiver (most of the time). If the receiver changes direction, he changes direction. He watched his receiver initially very closely.

Newton is fast – – fast enough to match receivers on vertical straight-line go-routes and to velcro to his receiver.

No question it’s in him to do this.

Momentary lapses in coverage

This is a big concern.

From time to time, he will fall into trail position in coverage and give up throwing windows. He also guessed wrong once and got turned around and gave up a catch.

He’s more than capable, sometimes he just lacks the same intensity level in coverage. That’s when most of the catches he gave up happened.

#24 Josh Newton (No. 24 on 2022 film) 6-foot-0, 190 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Fall 2023 Grade: Second-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by 15.9% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of November 27, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Game film reviewed (2022): Kansas State (Big-12 CCG), Kansas, Oklahoma, Kansas State (regular season), and West Virginia (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2022 stats: 35 tackles (26 solo), 12 passes defended, 3 interceptions, 1 touchdown

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Stocky boxy muscular framed press corner with good one-gear speed, slight rigidity in his hips and has a nose for the football. Mirrors receivers and tends to stay tight. Gave up a couple catches despite being close, but also broke some up too. Didn’t show a short area burst. Relied on instincts (and right guesses) to break up passes. Willing to come up and make the stop on screens. Good ball tracking skills deep. Capable wrapping tackler (when he feels like it).

What to watch for during the 2023 college football season

1. Does it look like he is guessing in coverage or is he instinctual?

2. Burst?

3. Showing make-up speed?

4. How does he look against the run?

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.