Illinois star Johnny Newton, projected 1st-round pick, to miss 2024 NFL Draft Combine after undergoing surgery

One of the top defensive tackles in the 2024 NFL Draft will be forced to miss the scouting combine. Illinois football star Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, a projected first-round pick, underwent surgery in January to repair a partial Jones fracture in his foot and won’t be ready to participate in drills and workouts in Indianapolis next week, per draft guru Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

Newton played through the injury during the second half of last season. Fortunately, the junior is on track to be cleared by doctors for a pro day in April ahead of the draft.

At 6’2, 295 pounds, Newton is a rare athlete for his size, with the requisite combination of burst, flexibility and strength to get after quarterbacks from the interior. He finished with 26 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two deflected passes in 2023, and combined for 103 pressures over his last two seasons at Illinois—more than any other defensive tackle in the country. The 21-year-old could stand to improve in the run game, where he reportedly has a penchant for being “engulfed” at the line of scrimmage.

Newton is currently ranked as the No. 30 overall prospect in this year’s draft class, per Brugler. Texas Byron Murphy II is the only defensive tackle ahead of him on Brugler’s big board of the draft’s top-100 prospects.

The 2024 NFL Draft Combine begins on February 26th and runs through March 4th. The event will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The draft kicks off April 25th at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan.