Commanders bolster defense by snatching first round talent on Day 2 of the NFL Draft
The Washington Commanders added several pass rushers in free agency and now they've added another in former Big 10 Player of the Year and Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton. It's great value and the fit will be very interesting Newton is a first-round talent. Many draft experts had him going in the […]
The Washington Commanders added several pass rushers in free agency and now they've added another in former Big 10 Player of the Year and Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton.
It's great value and the fit will be very interesting
Newton is a first-round talent. Many draft experts had him going in the top-27, at worst, and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah had him as a top-25 player, overall. The Athletic's Dane Brugler had him as the 28th best player in the draft. The fact Newton fell to the Commanders at 36 is a big deal.
Newton projects to be a starting-level 3T in the NFL. He has the quickness, power, and physicality to disrupt interior offensive lines on a weekly basis and all of the aforementioned traits certainly show up on tape.
But, as mentioned, Newton projects to be a 3T and the Commanders already have Jonathan Allen and DaRon Payne, two of the best interior linemen in the NFL, on the inside.
The first and obvious things that comes to mind is Newton can provide a breather when one of the two leave the field and the pass rush won't drop off too much. The Commanders didn't have that option prior to Friday evening. Playing Allen and Payne also gives Newton a chance to really refine his skills as he learns from the best.
It was a near-given that the Commanders would continue to attack the defensive trenches on Day 2 of the draft, but not many expected them to land such a talented player as Newton.
