The 2026 NFL Draft is long gone, free agency has slowed to a crawl, but teams are never done making moves. The Washington Commanders were busy this offseason, revamping one of the NFL’s worst defenses, with an emphasis on becoming younger and faster.
While the bulk of the roster is set, GM Adam Peters knows his work is never done. There has been a lot of talk about Washington adding another wide receiver, whether it’s Brandon Aiyuk, if and when he becomes available, or Stefon Diggs.
But what if the Commanders make a trade? The 2027 NFL Draft is expected to be one of the more loaded classes in recent memory, and Peters could look to get a jumpstart on 2027 by adding more draft capital now. Who could Washington look to move?
Pro Football Focus recently named 15 players who are trade candidates ahead of training camp in July. Eagles star wide receiver A.J. Brown is unsurprisingly on the list, and so are other well-known veterans, such as Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Also on the list is Commanders defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton.
The Commanders relentlessly fortified their ailing defense this offseason, including along the defensive line. However, that negatively affects someone like Newton.
The 36th overall pick in 2024 hasn’t blossomed as Washington would’ve hoped, notching a career 50.0 overall PFF grade with a 38.6 PFF run-defense grade. Yet what has been encouraging is Newton’s pass-rushing, as his 9.3% pass-rush win rate placed in the 63rd percentile last year.
The Commanders inked former Texans interior defender Tim Settle to a three-year, $25.5 million contract during free agency, which only pushes Newton down the depth chart. The 23-year-old former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year could garner attention for teams looking to bet on his upside.
This is a bit surprising. Newton, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has had a disappointing NFL career thus far. Unfortunately, a pre-existing foot injury sustained at Illinois slowed his development. However, he did appear in 16 games as a rookie, making 11 starts. He finished his rookie season with 44 tackles, including six for loss and two sacks. Last season, Newton appeared in all 17 games, making two starts, recording 39 tackles, four for loss, five sacks and nine quarterback hits.
When Washington selected Newton, it believed he’d quickly become an impact player. While that hasn’t happened yet, he did show glimpses of his potential in a game against the Dallas Cowboys last season, finishing with nine tackles, including two for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hits. It was a dominant performance.
There’s hope that Newton will blossom under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. Newton is at his best rushing the passer, not as a run defender. Jones is expected to use a hybrid 3-4 scheme, which makes you wonder, where will Newton play? That’s a fair question. But the Commanders believe in Newton, but Peters has been unafraid to move on from former high draft picks during training camp. Two years ago, he traded 2022 first-round receiver Jahan Dotson to the Eagles. The difference here, though, is that Newton was a Peters’ selection.
The Commanders added youth and depth throughout the front seven this offseason, which could lead Washington to move on from someone this summer. Newton could be more valuable because of his upside and the two years remaining on his rookie deal. Peters would probably prefer seeing Newton in training camp before entertaining trades.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Jer’Zhan Newton a potential trade candidate?