Commanders Veteran Pro Bowl DL Comments on Second-Round Draft Pick DT Johnny Newton

Jonathan Allen has had a lot of teammates with the Washington Commanders, and his newest one took his first practice snaps on Wednesday.

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat (90) and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) and defensive tackle John Ridgeway (91) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton was viewed as a first-round talent coming out of Illinois in this past April's NFL draft. Unfortunately for Newton, he ended up slipping into the second round of the 2024 draft, partially because of a foot injury, but he eventually was picked by the Washington Commanders with the 36th overall pick although interior defensive linemen weren't a major need for the franchise.

That foot injury that caused Newton to possibly drop in the draft eventually led to the standout DT receiving surgery to repair a Jones fracture, landing Newton on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. Before the team's first training camp session on Wednesday, the team activated Newton off the NFI list clearing him for practice.

READ MORE: Washington Commanders Begin Training Camp With Huge Injury News

First look at Washington Commanders rookie DT Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton getting some reps in at Training Camp. pic.twitter.com/N8OYW1yaXW

— David Harrison (@DHarrison82) July 24, 2024

Following practice, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn relayed that although Newton has been cleared to practice they are going to ease him into things - limiting him to individual position drills only, with no team activities at this point.

As mentioned, Washington wasn't necessarily in dire need of a top-end defensive tackle with the likes of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne manning the two starting spots, but it was just too hard to pass up on a talent such as Newton possesses.

Newton likely won't start to begin his career with those two guys ahead of him, but getting healthier and learning the nuances of what is expected of him and the defense will be key for the rookie to start earning a larger share of the snaps. Allen, perhaps the team's best defensive lineman, talked about how unshocked he is with how quickly Newton has gotten back onto the field.

"Not surprising, but excited," Allen said. "Obviously, he's a great player. We got him super high in the draft and I'm excited to see what he can do out there. So, he looked good. They're trying to take it slow with him, obviously, you don't want to throw him out there too soon, but from what I've seen, he looks really well."

Patience is a virtue and Newton will need all of it to make sure he is in the best position to perform as the season gets underway. Allen, a two-time Pro Bowler, continued by assessing how Newton will help compliment his teammates along the defensive line.

"I don't think it's him complimenting us. I think it's all of us complimenting each other, you know what I mean? I'm trying to help out [DE] Clelin [Ferrell], trying to help out [DT Daron] Payne and vice versa. So, he's definitely going to fit in really well. He loves to work out, he loves to do the little things right, and he loves to work. And for me, once I see that, that's all I need to see."

Hard work breeds results. It might not always be immediate, but it comes. Getting on one page and building the culture should be at the forefront of the entire Commanders team, but for the defensive line they have the potential to become one of the better units in the league at full strength.

Newton getting fully healthy will be a welcome site for the Commanders and their fans so they will finally be able to see what he can bring to this team, but for now, he will need to soak up as much information as he can before the team lets him loose to form a formidable triple threat alongside Allen and Payne.

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