Per the NFL on FOX podcast, Illinois DT Johnny Newton is visiting with the Giants after his pro day.
His given name is Jer’Zhan but he is also willing to go by Johnny, as people have trouble pronouncing “Jer-Zawn”.
“A lot of people just don’t know how to say Jer’Zhan, so I was like, just call me Johnny,” Newton told The Palm Beach Post. “Either or is fine.”
Newton, 21, was a consensus All-American in 2023 and was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2022 and 2023. He is considered to be one of the top defensive tackle prospects in this year’s draft class.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares him to Javon Hargrave.
During his three seasons at Illinois, Newton appeared in 42 games, recording 187 tackles, 27.5 tackles for a loss, 18 sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and five pass defenses.
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If the GMEN trade down from pick(#6), this is one of the players GMEN GM Trader Joe Schoen should draft as BIG DEX’s running mate at DT.