Cowboys draft 2024: DL Jer’Zhan Newton scouting report

Here is our scouting report on defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton from Illinois

We continue our 2024 NFL Draft review of draft prospects that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we are looking at defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton (Illinois).

Jer’Zhan Newton
DL
Illinois Fighting Illini
Junior
3-star recruit
Height – 6’2”
Weight – 296 lbs

History:
Jer’Zhan “Jonny” Newton is a defensive lineman (Illinois) that was graded a three-star recruit out of Clearwater Central High School. He had a number of interested high profile schools such as Florida and Florida State, but opted for Illinois and enrolled in 2020.

In his freshman year he played 329 snaps on defense, starting from Week 8. He played in rotation for two weeks, but by Week 10 he was taking starting snaps for Illinois. He had six total pressures and two sacks as a pass rusher. On run defense, he had 23 tackles, two tackles for loss and forced fumble.

In his sophomore season, Newton was made the starter at defensive tackle. He played 611 snaps on defense and as a pass rusher he had 15 pressures and four sacks. As a run defender he had 50 tackles and four tackles for loss.

In 2022, Newton exploded on the scene. He played a total of 666 defensive snaps and had 59 total pressures (a career high) and six sacks (seventh-most in the Big 10). He also had 62 total tackles and an astonishing 14 tackles for loss which was the second-most in the Big 10. He earned All-Big Ten First Team and was nominated All-American.

In his senior season for Illinois, Newton was elected as team captain and the production never stopped. He had a career high in snaps, playing 749 snaps in all 12 games. He created 43 pressures and registered eight sacks which was third most in the Big 10. He also had 52 total tackles and nine tackles for loss with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was again named All-Big Ten First Team and All-American. He was also awarded Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

2023 Statistics:
749 Total snaps
43 Total Pressures
8 Sacks
32 Defensive Stops
52 Total Tackles
9 TFL
1 FF
1 FR
2 PD
3 Penalties

NFL Combine/Pro Day:
TBD

Awards:
All-Big Ten First Team (2022, 2023)
All-American (2022, 2023)
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (2023)

Scorecard:
Overall- 95.0/100
Tackling- 70/100
Run Stopping- 88/100
Pass Rush- 87/100
Discipline- 94/100
Speed- 81/100
Strength- 90/100
Acceleration- 80/100
Agility- 97/100

THE GOOD:

• As a pass rusher, Newton is as dominant as they come. He registered 102 pressures in his last two seasons, no other defensive tackle registered more than 78 in that same time.
• He’s a complete technician with his hands and has a range of pass rush moves at his disposal. His club-swim is highly effective.
• Elite instincts off the snap with precision timing.
• Precision striker with his punch. Very quick hands.
• Above average strength to bull-rush.
• Has elite flexibility to play defensive end and bend around the edge. Given his size this makes him extremely versatile to play all across the line.
• Shows good strength when defending at the point of attack on running plays.

THE BAD:

• His short arm length will put most NFL coaches off the idea of him playing as an edge defender.
• Undersized for a traditional inside defensive lineman.
• For an undersized defensive tackle, his burst can be underwhelming.
• Fails to beat double teams. Mostly due to him carrying less mass for the role.
• Lacks aggression at times on running plays.
• Having played across the line each year at Illinois he’s become a “jack of all trades, but the master of none”.

THE FIT:
There’s no doubt based on Jer’Zhan Newton abilities and production he goes in the first round and becomes a functional defender on any roster in the NFL during his rookie season. He’s shown to be an intellectual pass rusher with an array of moves he executes with textbook precision and has lightning fast hands. On run defense, he’s shown to be capable and disruptive with a high level of effort.

His issue comes with size and strength. He’s undersized in the NFL for defensive tackle and has trouble taking on double teams. Then as an edge defender, although his flexibility and agility is elite, he lacks the arm length to remain consistent. So the quandary becomes where he fits. His best avenue for success would be to play on a team where he can be paired with a large one-tech defender and emulate what Tampa Bay did with Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea.

Although Newton isn’t one of the safest picks in this year’s draft, he does have one of the highest ceilings. For that reason, he will get selected early and be one of the first defensive tackles off the board.

COMPARISON:-
Maurice Hurst, Cleveland Browns

GRADE:
Mid-first round (last player with a first-round grade)

CONSENSUS RANKING:
20th
(Consensus ranking based on the average ranking from 90 major scoring services)