DI Jer’Zhan Newton Midterm: An Undersized But Surprisingly Powerful D-Tackle

A few guys are getting overlooked early in a draft class with several rare blue-chip prospects. One of them is Jer’Zhan Newton, who’s been a versatile and highly effective player for Illinois. For a 6’2, 295 lb Defensive Interior, you’d expect him to be a lackluster run defender with average power. However, that isn’t the case, and he surprisingly thrives in those areas. This is also a highly athletic player we’re talking about here. As Illinois lost Devon Witherspoon last year, they’ll be hurting also to lose Newton this year. He is a rare kind of player and a fascinating guy to analyze.

Three all-22 games and his highlights were evaluated, and clips from his film are broken down here. All relevant traits were graded based on his film. His scouting report also factored in stats and analytics, such as PFF grades. Use promo code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Please gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.

D-Line Stats

Film Analysis

Jer’Zhan Newton shows his remarkable upper body strength in this clip above. He gets a terrific get-off and drives the Guard back, collapsing the run play.

Newton lines up as a 4i in this one and gets a sack on the QB. After getting a good get-off, he fakes to the inside, then takes the edge as he pushes away the Guard.

Grades

OVR Grade: 1-100

Traits/ Skills

(Grades are subject to change until draft day.)

Jer’Zhan Newton’s Pros and Cons

Jer’Zhan Newton Bio

• Jer’Zhan Newton is an athletic three-tech with three-down ability. His first step, paired with his upper body power and leverage advantage, could lead to moments of dominance in the pros.

Pros

• Fires off the ball with the all-around athleticism to consistently get home
• Often wins the leverage battle due to height.
• Ridiculously powerful upper half for only being 295 lbs
• Exceptional bend allows him to be used on stunts and twists
• Strong and active hands
• Instinctive run defender with a nose for finding the ball
• Quick and effective swim move
• Flashed the ability to push-pull
• Takes precise angles to the ball
• Thrives off of defending the zone run

• Played nearly every alignment across the D-Line

Cons

• In addition to being undersized, he lacks length
• Relied too much on athleticism rather than technique
• While his hands are active, he could grow to have better accuracy
• Pass rush moves are still a little raw

Combine – TBD

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Pro Day – TBD

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Final conclusion on Jer’Zhan Newton

There are no players in the NFL who even compare to Jer’Zhan Newton; he is just that rare of a player. While he played a lot of nose tackle and 1i for Illinois, he projects as a three-tech in the pros. He has the athleticism to play over the Tackle on run-downs and will be a nasty pass rusher on the interior. It’s still hard to say if he’s a top-ten talent, but he appears to be the best D-Tackle in this class. Teams like the Raiders or Cardinals could make excellent use of his skills. His upside isn’t elite because he’ll never be an amazing run defender. However, he’ll bring a day-one impact many teams need.