"It's a massive second season for Johnny Newton, especially with Jonathan Allen and former second-round pick Phidarian Mathis now out of the picture. An all-everything player during his time at Illinois, the transition from college to the NFL game saw the defensive tackle endure some speed bumps in his rookie campaign. While expected, his workload of snaps now will not be looked at as developmental, but crucial to each down the Commanders spend on the defensive side of the ball."
"The Commanders have hybrid defenders that can play the box or line up against tight ends in man coverage, but the lone player on the backend with the true centerfield type of range is Butler. While most of his snaps early in the campaign are expected to come on special teams, his ability to produce on key passing downs will remain critical to Washington limiting chunk plays through the air,"
Johnny Newton enters a pivotal second season after Jonathan Allen and Phidarian Mathis moved on, shifting his snap workload from developmental to essential on every defensive down. Newton experienced rookie speed bumps and produced limited pressure numbers, but he flashed during the playoff run and in summer work and projects to play with urgency once games count. The Commanders invested significant capital in the defensive line this spring, placing onus on Newton to evolve into a Day 1 core contributor. Percy Butler provides unique centerfield range among Washington's backend defenders and will likely start with special teams duties, yet his ability to cover deep passing downs and limit chunk plays is critical to getting off the field on extended third-down situations. The progression and usage of both players will be decisive in how far Washington can climb in 2025.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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