Last season, the Baltimore Ravens were one score away from playing in the Super Bowl, and the reason for that was obvious. The team’s defense kept them in games even when the offense fell flat, like the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs did.
As the cliche expression goes, defense wins championships. If the Ravens plan to compete for a title again next season, it must focus on what’s always made the team great and target a defender like Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, the sensational defensive tackle out of Illinois.
Recently, Baltimore selected Newton in a mock draft after a strong season for the senior defensive tackle, where he recorded 7.5 sacks.
“It looks like Justin Madubuike is getting the franchise tag, but that shouldn’t stop the Ravens from adding another disruptive interior defender if they get a chance to add one of the best in this year’s class,” SI writes. “Newton isn’t the bigger defensive tackle, but he makes up for it with instincts and explosiveness that allow him to camp out in opposing backfields.”
Whether Baltimore brings back Madubuike or not, the team should have a strong interest in drafting Newton. Madubuike is coming off of a season in which he earned his first Pro Bowl, and All-Pro nods after recording an astounding 13 sacks by applying pressure from the inside of the defensive line.
If Newton and Madubbuike get paired on the defensive line, they could be the greatest interior pass-rushing duo in the entire NFL in their first year.
Rather than focusing on a wide receiver in the draft like many have projected, staying true to the best player available model and taking Newton if he falls could be the move that takes the Ravens from contenders to champions.
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