— 9. Jer'Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois, Jr., 6-2, 304

Newton was likely a Day 2 selection had he entered the draft after his sophomore season, when he led the nation's No. 1 scoring defense in tackles for loss (14), quarterback hurries (11), sacks (5.5) and fumble recoveries (two). The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year may be undersized for some teams, but he's been a disruptive force the last two seasons against the run and pass. He was a team captain in 2023, while also leading the country in blocked kicks with four. Newton (foot) underwent surgery in January to repair a partial Jones fracture in his foot and has been limited with his participation in the draft process.

— 10. Troy Fautanu, OL, Washington, Sr., 6-3, 317

Fautanu's heavy hands and impressive athleticism has been on display at left tackle for the Huskies the last two seasons, but many believed he possessed less-than-ideal arm length, which might have diminished him on some draft boards. However, the two-time All-Pac-12 honoree and third-team All-American's arms measured over the 34 inch threshold at the combine, boosting his draft stock even higher. Fautanu features legitimate five-position upside and All-Pro potential.

— 11. Jared Verse, Edge, Florida St., Jr., 6-4, 254

After his 2020 season at Albany was canceled due to COVID-19, Verse and his father built a home gym and the zero-star recruit put on 30-40 pounds of muscle in one year. He came back and was an FCS All-American before transferring to Florida State the following season, where he produced nine sacks as a redshirt sophomore. The AP All-American followed that up with another nine sacks to help the Seminoles finish the regular season undefeated. Verse regularly wins with strength, features violent hands with NFL-caliber explosiveness at the snap, and has already shown he can handle a significant jump in competition.

— 12. Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa, Jr., 6-0, 202

The former four-star recruit lettered in football, baseball, basketball and track, quarterbacking his high school to back-to-back undefeated state titles (the only ones in school history) while personally winning state championships in the 100 meters and long jump his senior year. DeJean was No. 14 on Bruce Feldman's 2023 "Freaks List." He's a highly competitive defensive back capable of thriving at cornerback, nickel or even safety. He's reliable against the run and his ball skills are top-tier — he allowed only one catch of 15-plus yards in 2023. He returned three of his seven career interceptions for touchdowns while averaging 13.1 yards per punt return, including a game-winning 70-yard TD against Michigan State last September. He controversially had a 54-yard punt-return TD called back with under two minutes remaining against Minnesota a month later. DeJean has been sidelined for most of the draft process after suffering a broken fibula while practicing with the Hawkeyes' offense in November, which explains why it feels like he's been flying under the radar.

— 13. Olu Fashanu, T, Penn St., Jr., 6-6, 312

The former three-star recruit blocked for the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in this draft, Caleb Williams, who was one grade below him in high school. Fashanu would've likely ended up a first-round selection had he declared after his sophomore season. There's still room for improvement in the run game, but he's already an elite pass-protector — he didn't allow a single sack in 733 career pass-block snaps for the Nittany Lions. Fashanu was Penn State's first consensus All-American on the offensive line since 1995 (Jeff Hartings). He faced off against two really good pass-rushers in practice who will be playing on Sundays (Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac), so he knows what it looks like. Fashanu was No. 23 on Bruce Feldman's 2023 "Freak List."

...continued

©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.