While his first NFL season got off to a rocky start thanks to a foot injury, Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton found himself thrust into regular action after Jonathan Allen suffered a torn pectoral muscle early in the year.
Entering his second season , and with Allen now off playing for the Minnesota Vikings, Newton is expected to have a bigger role on coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.'s defense. In fact, the Commanders' second-year tackle is a recommended player for you to consider drafting in fantasy football leagues featuring individual defensive player (IDP) slots, according to Sports Illustrated's Mark Morales-Smith.
"Newton is another second-year player poised for a breakout. While he fell to pick 36 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, he was projected by many to be a first-round pick as well. Last year, he saw his snap count slowly rise from zero snaps in Week 1 up to 50% of the snaps late in the season. By December, he was a tackling machine, racking up 12 tackles in his final three games of the regular season," Morales-Smith writes.
"This year, he will be given all the snaps that he can handle. The Commanders have moved on from Jonathan Allen, who was as close to an every-down player as a DT gets. While he dealt with injuries last season, which limited him to about a 60% snap share in the games he played, in 2023, he played just under 83% of the snaps. His departure greatly improves Newton's path to production."
Newton's path to a large snap-share isn't without obstacles, however. For one, Whitt is known for his willingness and desire to rotate players in an attempt to find advantages and keep key players fresh for key situations.
Additionally, along with veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne, the Commanders also brought in veteran Javon Kinlaw who figures to play on the edge some, but will also eat his fair share of interior snaps.
Veteran Eddie Goldman was also signed this offseason as Washington looks to get bigger and stronger up front to help contain the run better than the unit's near-last ranked effort in 2024.
Newton is going to have his role, no doubt, and he'll have the opportunity to stake claim to as many snaps as possible. If Morales-Smith's projections are correct, he could do so at the benefit of the Commanders, and your fantasy football team in 2025.
