Jer'Zhan Newton – Defensive Tackle – 21 years old – Junior – Illinois
Height: 1m88
Weight: 127 kg
2023 stats: 52 tackles including 8.5 for losses, 7.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 fumble covered, 1 forced fumble
Estimated position in the draft: 1st round
NFL Comparison: Aaron Donald
Aaron Donald has retired, but his legacy may outlive him in the NFL. If the defensive tackle position is very physically calibrated, there are players who have so much talent that they overcome this bad preconception. Jer'Zhan Newton is in this category, to the point of being a serious first-round candidate.
Strong points
- Football IQ
- Explosiveness / Liveliness
- Technical
- Endurance
It's difficult to find players more lively than Newton at the defensive tackle position. His first step is lethal, and few offensive linemen are capable of responding. Quick as lightning, Newton really counts on the first seconds to win the duel. As he also has an excellent football IQ, which provides an important combo. He understands better than the others and goes faster, easy to see why he is above average.
Technically, Newton has a rare range of movements. This is what makes him particularly effective against the run and pass rush, because the opponent never knows how Newton is going to attack his space (“gap”). And since it seems to have a battery that never runs out, it's as dangerous in the first minute as it is in the last.
Weak points
- Physical dimension
- Disengagement
Jer'Zhan Newton is too short by standards, his arms are too short, his hands are too small… the list goes on. If, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, Aaron Donald succeeded with this type of dimensions, this is very rarely the case. It is not for nothing that franchises look at physical appearance, it is also because it can illustrate the potential limitations of a player.
In the game, this is illustrated in particular at the moment of “disengagement”, that is to say the ability to escape from your first duel to go for a second effort to try to impact the game. This is visible especially on the running game, where he is often neutralized too quickly. This lack of dimension also impacts his tackling ability, an area in progress but far from perfect.
Possible destinations
Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins
Many teams have a need inside the line. If Newton's profile is not going to please all teams, he can be a perfect complement to support a more powerful player. In this logic the Giants or the Rams for example could be tempted to bet on the player from Illinois, but other teams like the Dolphins could include him in their new system. In short, there are a myriad of possibilities.
