Titans bolster defensive line with Simmons
The Tennessee Titans selected defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons out of Mississippi State with the 19th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Simmons was considered a top-10 talent, but is coming off a knee injury and was involved in a physical altercation with a woman when in high school, which pushed him down draft boards.
It's uncertain how much Simmons will be able to play during his rookie season after tearing his ACL in mid-February.
When healthy, Simmons should give Tennessee a dominant inside duo with Pro Bowler Jurrell Casey.
Prospect profile
School: Mississippi State
Height: 6-4
Weight: 305 lbs
Strengths
- Possesses ideal size and length for any scheme
- Able to time snap on a consistent basis
- Excellent run defender - uses length to penetrate through contact
- Consistently wins one-on-ones and has piled up tackles-for-loss
- Very powerful hands in pass rush
- Uses efficient rush moves including swim and chop club
- Powerful anchor and able to split double-teams
- Excellent body control through contact
Weaknesses
- Tore ACL in February while training
- Involved in altercation with a young woman before arriving at Mississippi State
- Tackling technique needs work - had a few too many misses last season
- Can stray away from designated gap
- At times will over-run play with momentum and has difficulty recovering
Bottom line
Simmons has his fair share of red flags as a prospect, but he's flashed dominance on tape in a competitive SEC. The defensive lineman has ideal measurables and thrives against the run and pass. With a bit of patience, Simmons can develop into a top-tier defensive tackle due to his diverse pass-rush repertoire, gap penetration skills, and excellent use of hands. He'll likely be selected in the first round despite his recent injury.