The Washington Commanders and their fans are obviously pumped to have selected Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he wasn't the only potential star that the team selected in the draft. The team's second pick of the draft ended up being talented defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton, who was a potential first-round pick that ended up slipping into the second round.

Newton has a ton of potential, but his status for training camp was a bit murky after he underwent surgery to fix a Jones fracture in his foot back in May. It seemed like the talented lineman wouldn't be ready for the start of training camp after he was placed on the non-football injury list last Friday, but he ended up passing his physical on Wednesday morning, which led to Washington activating him ahead of their upcoming practices.

Jer'Zhan Newton hoping to make big impact with Commanders as a rookie

Illinois Fighting Illini defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton (94) reacts to a missed stop in the third quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Newton's selection for the Commanders was a bit confusing considering that they already have Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne anchoring their defensive line, but when you have an opportunity to add a talented player in the draft, you should take it. Newton may not play much as a rookie, but given the injury woes he's already dealt with, that may not be the worst thing in the world.

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Newton spent all four of his seasons in college with the Illinois Fighting Illini, and he gradually turned himself into one of the top defensive tackle prospects in his draft class. Newton was a monster his senior year (52 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 8.5 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR), and he will be hoping to produce in a similar manner for Washington in the NFL now.

Getting Newton as much work as possible during training camp is precisely what the Commanders are hoping to do, so activating him from the non-football injury list is a huge win. Keeping an eye on his health throughout the year is going to be crucial, but assuming he can develop as expected behind the scenes, he should be in a good spot moving forward.

This was a somewhat unexpected turn of events, but it's a turn that the Commanders and their fans will be thrilled to see. Newton is one of the most exciting players from their draft class, and the sooner he can get to work, the better. Now, all eyes will be on him to see how he fares in his first NFL training camp.