Getty Las Vegas Raiders interim GM Champ Kelly.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a number of needs heading into the 2024 offseason and this will be another important draft. While there’s a strong chance the team targets a quarterback in the first round, they could also look to strengthen the defense.
One of the big needs for the Raiders is a pass rushing defensive tackle. The team hasn’t had a great interior pass rush for years and there’s one prospect that would fit in perfectly. According to Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton is the player the team should target in the 2024 NFL Draft.
“Raiders could certainly be in the quarterback conversation, but with many of the first-rounders spoken for in this exercise, we instead look to the defense,” Sikkema wrote in a January 2 column. “Just because Newton doesn’t play quarterback doesn’t make him any less perfect for the Raiders, who desperately need a difference-maker on the interior in the run and pass game. Newton is one of the few (maybe only) first-round caliber interior defensive linemen.”
Newton has had a massive senior season with 7.5 sacks for Illinois and won the Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and Smith–Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year awards. He’s a big-time prospect and would help defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce create more pressure.
Draft Profile on Jer’Zhan Newton
The Raiders currently hold the No. 11 pick in the draft, per Tankathon, and there’s a chance Jer’Zhan Newton will be picked before that. Great pass rushing defensive tackles are difficult to come by. If Newton tests well prior to the draft, he could work his way into the top five.
According to Bleacher Report, there’s a lot to like about Newton as a prospect.
“Jer’Zhan Newton is just a disruptive player overall,” BR NFL Scouting Department wrote in a November 29 column. “He’s strong and stout at the point of attack against the run to stun offensive linemen and stay in his gap. He also has little to no issues getting off blocks and can make plays outside of his gap with his impressive blend of strength and athleticism.
“As a pass-rusher, Newton has very active hands to ‘beat the hands, beat the man’ and add to his pass-rush repertoire. He has a handful of moves he can win with around the edges and has impressive bend for a defensive tackle. He’s also flashed some athleticism/agility to be an effective looper in line games and continues to grow as a rusher.”
Dude Jer’Zhan Newton is so ridiculous lol
Expectations for Tyree Wilson
It’s been a rough season for 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson. He has just 2.5 sacks this season and has been largely ineffective. With the emergence of Malcolm Koonce as a dependable wingman for Maxx Crosby, Wilson’s lack of impact has been less notable.
However, the Raiders used a top-10 draft pick on him and can’t afford for him to be a non-factor. 2024 will be a big year for him, especially if the Raiders add a player like Jer’Zhan Newton. Wilson has the excuse that he wasn’t healthy all offseason and missed a portion of training camp. He’ll have a full offseason in 2024 and if he’s just as ineffective next season, the Raiders could lose faith in him, especially considering general manager Dave Ziegler was fired in 2023.