Washington Commanders rookies like offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and cornerback Trey Amos will get plenty of attention in training camp starting this week, and there's also going to be a focused lens on second-year players.
Of course, quarterback Jayden Daniels is one of them, but he's the quarterback, so everyone will always be watching him. Other Commanders' second-year pros will draw attention as well, like receiver Luke McCaffrey, who has already turned heads in OTAs and during the team's three-day mandatory minicamp.
Defensive tackle Jer'Zhan 'Johnny' Newton is also a second-year player to watch, and according to NFL.com's Bucky Brooks, he's a breakout candidate among all sophomores in the league.
"The heavy-handed defensive tackle exhibited disruptive skills at the point of attack during his rookie campaign. Newton's powerful hands and non-stop motor helped him amass 44 tackles (six for loss), seven QB hits and a pair of sacks in 16 games, including 11 starts. Given more responsibility and freedom within the scheme, the second-year pro could become Dan Quinn's designated playmaker on the defensive front, given his unique talents as a power player in the trenches," Brooks says of Newton.
Cornerback Mike Sainristil did not make Brooks' list, but neither did Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, so perhaps having such good rookie seasons precluded their involvement on this list of players.
Despite starting his career recovering from one foot surgery and having to have another after being drafted, Newton still appeared in 16 regular-season games and all three of the Commanders' playoff games in 2024.
Stepping in for the injured Jonathan Allen following Week 6 until his return late in the year, Newton played on just over half of the total defensive snaps in the season while contributing another 25 to special teams.
Healthy coming into the offseason program, the hope is that experience from his rookie season and a healthy run into and through training camp will spark significant growth from the lineman who is known for his ability to get off the line of scrimmage quickly and use his athleticism to cause disruption up front.
If he takes a step forward, along with the additions of defensive linemen like Javon Kinlaw and Deatrich Wise Jr., the unit as a whole should be able to improve, further helping Washington climb its way to the top of the NFL mountain.
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