Prospect Profile: Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois

Context

Plays 4i with a handful of snaps at 3 and 1 tech, as a one-gap penetrator.

Pass Rush

He has outstanding upfield burst; he reads run/pass well in most situations and gets off the ball scarily quickly. He has very good explosion and puts Offensive Linemen in immediate peril with his speed off the ball. He has outstanding hand usage and combines it with an excellent pass rush plan to be a dangerous interior rusher. His rush plan is not multi-faceted, but it is refined and the limited pitch-mix he employs is hugely effective. His fastball is undoubtedly his cross-chop, which is devastating. When Offensive Linemen begin to over-compensate to protect themselves against the cross-chop, which they must do, he has effective counters where he’s able to take advantage and turn blockers. His hand usage is technically excellent, something he utilizes well in both phases of the game. As a pass-rusher he uses it to employ an effective bull-rush which he’s able to execute despite the lack of ideal size in his frame because of the leverage he’s able to exert as a result of his precise hand placement. His hands are also fast and violent and he’s able to push-pull Offensive Linemen when he needs to. The most impressive part of his pass rush is his finish. He regularly controls the upper arm and shoulder of the blocker, with an effective rip and swim move to finish. He also understands body mechanics and that great interior pass-rushers turn their hips and shoulders well to corner and affect the QB. A real threat on stunts.

Vs Run

He has equally good upfield burst against the run, even on neutral downs. His explosion and ability to penetrate quickly and bench press the Offensive Linemen is the way he is most destructive against the run. His hand usage is the main reason for this: he strikes fast and with remarkable accuracy adjusting his aiming point to the height of the blocker. When facing straight up 1-on-1 gap blocks he’s able to control the point of attack with his hand usage and maintain gap discipline. When facing double teams, he can get pinned and fails to occupy the blockers and prevent vertical movement from the blockers. Against more complex Gap runs, he struggles to diagnose blocks quickly and it affects his play strength in these scenarios. When he’s play-side and facing zone runs he doesn’t diagnose quickly enough and so his hands are neutralized and he can’t lock out to gain leverage, so could play with more torque through his lower body in those situations. Has great pursuit on the backside of zone runs.

SUMMARY
Scarily explosive interior pass-rusher who has a devastating cross-chop, effective counters and elite finish on the QB. Good backside run defender, could use power more effectively vs run.

PRODUCTION
JR: 8 Sacks, 7 QB Hits, 33 Total Tackles, 2 FF
SO: 4 Sacks, 19 QB hits, 37 total tackles
INJURY: None

RAVENS FIT
Athleticism 4
Intelligence 4
Versatility 2
Grit 4
Scheme 3