Detroit Lions host Illinois DT, potential 1st-round pick Johnny Newton on pre-draft visit
The Detroit Lions added one of the NFL's best run-stopping defensive tackles in free agency. They could be looking to pair him with one of the best pass rushing interior linemen in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Lions hosted Illinois defensive tackle Johnny Newton on a pre-draft visit this week.
Newton is considered one of the best interior pass rushers in this year's draft and a likely first-round pick who could interest the Lions at No. 29. He earned first-team All-America honors at Illinois last season, when he had a team-high 7½ sacks while playing through a foot injury.
"I played running back in high school so I feel like that footwork transitioned to defensive line," Newton said at the NFL combine. "I know my speed could take me a long way. First step, getting off the ball quick and attacking offensive linemen, I feel like I can give them a lot of trouble like that."
At 6 feet 2 and 304 pounds, Newton, whose real first name is Jer'Zhan, is considered undersized but polished for a defensive tackle.
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He was a three-year starter at Illinois who served as a team captain last fall. He had 14 tackles for loss and tied for the national lead with 19 quarterback hits in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus. And he blocked an Illinois-record four kicks last season.
The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Newton suffered a Jones fracture in his foot midway through last season and underwent surgery in January. He practiced through the injury in the second half of the year, and said at the combine he never considered sitting out to preserve his draft stock.
"I felt it, but it was never going to stop me," Newton said. "I never wanted to be like, 'Ah, I need surgery on this right now.' I knew what I had to do, grind it out, help my team out and do whatever I can for us to have success."
The Lions signed former Cincinnati Bengals nose tackle D.J. Reader in free agency to pair with Alim McNeill on the interior of their defensive line. Reader turns 30 in July and is returning from a torn quad tendon, while McNeill is entering the final season on his rookie contract.
The Lions have focused most of their resources this offseason on bolstering a defense that ranked 23rd in points allowed and 26th in yards allowed per play last season. They also traded for cornerback Carlton Davis and signed cornerback Amik Robertson and defensive end Marcus Davenport in free agency, and have hosted at least eight cornerbacks and two other defensive tackles on pre-draft visits.
Northern Iowa defensive tackle Khristian Boyd visited the Lions in March, and Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. also is visiting the Lions, according to KPRC-TV in Houston.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions host Illinois DT Johnny Newton on pre-draft visit
