2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jer’Zhan Newton

Strengths

• Quick first step with a wide array of rips, swims, swipes, and lateral moves in his bag
• Possesses patience and athletic ability to read blockers and react
• Strings pass rush moves together in smooth combos that make him hard to stop on second and third efforts
• Pairs quick first step with excellent extension and hand placement to win first significant contact
• Gets the most out of his length

Weaknesses

• Struggles to hold up against power running concepts that target him and lead blockers
• May be limited to one-gap run defenses, unclear whether he would be able to hold up as a 3-4 defensive end with two-gap responsibilities
• Often a step late to recognize and react to misdirection
• Gets tunnel vision for the man in front of him, not recognizing pullers that are coming to crack him
• Bull rush is not very effective unless he is able to obtain a significant angle advantage
• Are his pass-rush moves effective enough to make up for the lack of a consistent bull rush?

Final Thoughts and Chicago Bears Fit

HERE’S JOHNNY! Overall, Johnny Newton is a heck of a football player. We won't know his measurements until the NFL Combine comes around, but with how easily Newton disengages from blockers, I expect him to measure above average for arm length. He consistently combines a quick first step with instant arm extension and excellent hand placement to win the first significant contact on pass rush reps. But the first step is not his go-to move. In fact, I get the feeling that he prefers to read and react off the line of scrimmage. This is something that takes a high degree of skill, processing, and athleticism to pull off.

Newton uses a variety of rips, swims, swipes, hesitations, and lateral steps to live in the opponent's backfield. His hands are active in the passing lane when he doesn’t get home. This season, he recorded two batted passes, and I noticed a few more on tape that may not have fully qualified. Additionally, Newton led the country with an Illini record four blocked kicks this season.

The thing with Johnny is, you could feasibly block him if you can get your hands latched cleanly. The trouble is that nobody can seem to grab him cleanly. His hand technique and athleticism should take him far as a pass rusher. On run defense, he is more limited. He likely needs to play in a one-gap scheme at the next level. That would allow him to focus on winning one gap rather than having to worry about what is happening in the backfield while also fighting off a blocker who is likely stronger than him.

For the Chicago Bears, Newton would be an incredible fit at three-technique. If the Bears return next season with the same defensive scheme, Newton was tailor-made for it. Lovie Smith recruited Newton to Illinois to wreak havoc from that all-important three-technique position. The Bears also covet pass-rushing ability from the three technique in Matt Eberflus’ scheme.

But will the scheme be the same? And will the Bears be willing to use a top-10 pick at this position after drafting Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens just last year? I could see a world where it happens. Dexter is versatile enough to play either defensive tackle spot, and Pickens is better suited as a rotational player anyway. But my gut says the Bears look toward the offensive side of the ball with their own pick.

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