Jer’Zhan Newton, IDL
Height: 6’2
Weight: 295 lbs.
Class: RS-Junior
School: Illinois
Stats
A former three-star recruit out of Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater, Florida, where he was the 106th-ranked Floridian and the 47th-ranked defensive end during the 2019 recruiting cycle. Newton was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2023, making him the fourth Illini in history to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
He was also named an All-American per the AP, AFCA, FWAA, CBS, and The Athletic. Newton also recorded 43 pressures in 2023. He aligned all over the defensive front but was mostly the 3-technique and 4i-shade when Illinois was in their ODD front.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Summary
Jer’Zhan Newton is a disruptive player from the interior who does well in one-on-one pass-rushing situations. He is explosive and efficient with his hands to create separation from the interior. Newton frequently aligned as the end in an ODD front, playing mostly 3-technique to 5-technique. He’s no liability as a run defender, but double teams can uproot him due to his size.
Teams are looking for explosive interior defensive linemen who can create pressure from within the pocket; Newton fits that description and should hear his name called relatively early in the draft. A player like Newton would thrive on the Giants next to Dexter Lawrence, but Newton will likely be gone before the Giants have the luxury of drafting an IDL.
GRADE: 6.42
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