Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton is one of the top interior defensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft class. His exploits throughout his playing career have been well-documented as a complete interior rusher, despite his lack of size.
Where did the All-American get his playing career started? And where has Newton been over the last few seasons? Today, we break that down.
Where Did Newton’s Football Career Start?
Newton was born on Aug. 31, 2002. By the time he is drafted to an NFL team, he will be 22 years old — a solid age for a player of his caliber.
As a St. Petersburg, Fla. native, Newton played high school at Clearwater Central Catholic High School in Clearwater.
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During his high school career, Newton recorded 244 tackles and 24 sacks.
Newton was a three-star recruit and the 47th-ranked defensive end during the 2019 recruiting cycle.
Revisiting Newton’s College Career
Choosing a college proved to be a difficult one for Newton. The Florida native initially committed to play at Maryland in College Park, but switched up and decided to play for the Illinois Fighting Illini.
There, Newton quickly grew into an interior defensive force, helping the Illini defense become one of the best defenses in the country.
Jer'Zhan Newton is a BAD manpic.twitter.com/wu8jYaw7xt
— College Football Network (@CFN365) April 20, 2023
In four seasons, Newton recorded over 27.5 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.
During his time there, the Fighting Illini gave up the second-fewest yards, QBR allowed, and third-down percentage in 2022. While much of the credit went to NFL prospects like Devon Witherspoon, Jartavius “Quan” Martin, and Sydney Brown, Newton’s work on the interior helped the Illini defense become a feared group overall.
Newton’s Potential in the NFL
Projecting where Newton will fall in the 2024 draft is a difficult prediction as Pro Football Network draft analyst Ian Cummings breaks down.
Newton possesses raw tools that organizations would love to have, but his small frame makes him hard to project as an every-down defender.
“Newton grades out as a top-15 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft,” Cummings said. “On my board, he’s the top DT prospect in the class, ranked over Texas’ Byron Murphy II by a slim margin. Particularly for odd and hybrid-front teams, Newton presents exciting appeal and can be an impact starter fairly early in his career.
“Newton is a surgical disruptor in both run defense and pass defense, whose hyper-elite flexibility serves as a defining and dominating trait. With his combined burst, flexibility, hand strength, and angle awareness, he’s an unnaturally permeable force against run blocks. Meanwhile, as a pass rusher, Newton has the combined athleticism, hand precision, violence in his strikes, bend, and motor to menace the QB from a multitude of alignments.”
MORE: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton
It’s a safe bet that, despite his size, Newton will hear his name called in the later stages of the first round.
“Newton is a versatile two-phase disruptor whose penchant for production should only persist in the NFL,” Cummings writes. “He bears a lot of similarities to former five-time Pro Bowler and second-team Jurrell Casey, and he has the same kind of all-league upside.”
Highlights, Records, and More
In four seasons with the Illini, Newton made his mark in the record books. His 18 sacks are tied for fifth in program history. It’s important to note that those numbers for an interior defensive player are very rare and should be given proper weight.
During his time at Illinois, Newton was a two-time First-Team All-Big Ten, and in 2023 alone, he was a consensus All-American and winner of the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year awards.
Also, in 2023, Newton was a Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big 10 at College Football Network.
In short, few defensive players in the current draft class carry the amount of accolades or overall success that Newton was able to have during his time with the Fighting Illini.
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