Could Miami Dolphins draft Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton to replace Christian Wilkins?
Growing up in the Tampa Bay area, Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton had a favorite NFL player, of course.
"Warren Sapp," said Newton, which makes sense as they're both defensive tackles.
The versatile Newton, a three-year starter at Illinois, led all FBS interior defensive linemen with 103 pressures over the past two seasons, according to The Athletic.
And Newton, 6-foot-1 1/2, 304 pounds, also posted 13 sacks in that span.
"Newton is a slightly undersized defensive tackle with quick and powerful hands," says NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah. "As a pass rusher, he has shock in his mitts to jolt blockers. He mixes up his moves to generate sacks and pressures, routinely employing a violent club and swim and a quick-swipe maneuver. He also incorporates a Houdini-like move where he sticks his hand out and gets offensive tackles to lunge."
New Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver could stand to add a player with Houdini-like moves to the defensive front.
"Using my arms, my hands, my feet to my advantage," Newton explained. "I was a quicker defensive lineman, so I couldn’t play it slow like all the bigger defensive lineman. But I felt like those techniques I just had — my hands, my eyes, my feet — I feel like using those helped me out."
Miami Dolphins approach NFL Draft open to adding DL
The Dolphins may consider Texas defensive lineman Byron Murphy, if available at No. 21. Like Murphy, Newton is considered a bit undersized, but could play defensive end when Miami uses three linemen or defensive tackle when they're lined up with four.
"Explosive big man with pass-rush instincts," says draft expert Dane Brugler of The Athletic. "Gets up-field quickly with fluidity to win rushing arcs. Plays from a low position to leverage the contact point. Balance and power make it tough for blockers to slow him when he pierces gaps.
"Agile-footed to work laterally and sidestep blocks. Violent, quick hands to swim or disengage. Alertly sees through blocks and reads run well. Flattens down the line and makes plays near the sideline. Can’t leave him unblocked backside, because he will chase it down every time with relentless hustle."
At Clearwater Central Catholic High School, Newton played basketball and even saw some time at running back for the football team.
How athletic is Newton? He blocked four kicks for Illinois last season.
Miami has signed a slew of beefy run-stoppers to compete for playing time along the defensive line. The most impactful Miami lineman in 2024 should be Zach Sieler.
Zach Sieler + Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton could work for Dolphins
But Sieler has lost good friend and $110 million man, Christian Wilkins, to the Raiders. Sieler could use a new dynamic tag-team partner.
"You just gotta' have heart, honestly," Newton said of his approach. "No matter what your size — big, tall, small, skinny — I just feel like if you got heart and determination, then you could overcome anything."
Newton's first name, Jer'Zhan, is pronounced "jer-ZAWN."
But it seems like he's ready to just go by Johnny Newton.
"A lot of people just don’t know how to say Jer’Zhan, so I was like, just call me Johnny," Newton said. "Either or is fine."
What does his family call him?
"Everybody calls me Johnny," he said. "If I’m in trouble, Jer’Zhan."
Dolphins NFL draft picks: List of selections in 2024
Round 1, Pick 21
Round 2, Pick 55
Round 5, Pick 158
Round 6, Pick 184 (from Chicago)
Round 6, Pick 198
Round 7, Pick 241
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe's free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jer'Zhan Johnny Newton solves Miami Dolphins Christian Wilkins problem NFL Draft
