The Washington Commanders have selected University of Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton with the 36th pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Throughout his four-year collegiate career, Jer’Zhan Newton steadily became a dominant force on the Fighting Illini’s defensive line. Over his last three seasons, Newton has averaged 55 tackles, six sacks, and nine tackles for loss. Newton has broken up five passes during that stretch. In the defensive tackle’s final season, Newton even blocked a school-record four field goals, which led him to become the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten Conference. In his final season, he was a Finalist for the Nagurski Trophy (Nation’s Top Defender).
The Consensus First Team All-American tied all defensive tackles with 44 pressures over the last two seasons. Newton measured in at 6′-2″ and 304 lbs at the combine. He’s a very explosive off-the-ball defender, who’s disruptive and has a variety of moves, including a phenomenal bullrush. After the NFL Combine, Newton had a 6.36 Prospect Grade and a Next Gen Stats Total Score of 83.
With the Commanders pulling the trigger and drafting Newton with the 36th pick, the defensive lineman will get a chance to shine early. If you are in a dynasty IDP league that starts a separate defensive tackle position, Newton is a name to consider drafting in the later rounds of your rookie drafts. Even start-up IDP dynasty league fantasy managers should snag the rookie in the last few rounds without hesitation.
