Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said in April that he believes defensive tackle Johnny Newton is “about to absolutely take off” in his third season with the team and the close to his 2025 campaign has something to do with that.
Newton was a 2024 second-round pick missed time heading into his rookie season after foot surgery, but played 16 games and made 11 starts. He had two sacks in that role and appeared in all 17 games last year, but dealt with an ankle injury that limited his productivity. Newton didn’t start the first 15 of those games, but moved into the first team in Week 17 against the Cowboys.
Newton had three sacks of Dak Prescott in that game and said he’s still been riding the wave of that performance heading into this season.
“That’s a big confidence boost, for sure. . . . I’ve had that feeling since Christmas,” Newton said, via the team’s website. “I’ve always been that way, though. I’ve always been confident in myself, but definitely after that game, I feel like nobody can mess with me.”
New Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones worked under Brian Flores with the Vikings. Flores prefers an aggressive, attacking front and Newton could see his surge carry him into a prominent role in this year’s defense.
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