Defensive tackle | Mississippi State | Junior

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 301 pounds

College Stats

2018: Played in all 13 games with 12 starts; recorded 63 total tackles with 17.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks with a forced fumble; named Second-Team All-American by multiple outlets; honored as First-Team All-SEC selection by coaches and media; named to ESPN's All-Bowl team; Conerly Trophy Winner (top player in Mississippi)

Career: Played in 38 career games with 28 starts; recorded 163 total tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, 7 pass breakups, five forced fumbles and three blocked kicks; honored as First-Team All-SEC selection by coaches and media as a sophomore in 2017; named to 2016 SEC All-Freshman Team; two-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll; three-time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week

Profile

Summary: Simmons was not invited to the 2019 NFL Combine because of a 2016 arrest, but he wouldn't have been able to participate in on-field drills anyway due to a torn ACL suffered in January. Before his injury, Simmons was projected to be a first-round pick due to his impressive blend of strength, speed and power. The defensive lineman did perform 28 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press at Mississippi State's pro day in late March.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote that Simmons is an "impressive physical specimen offering rare combination of strength and athleticism for future dominance in a variety of defensive schemes. Simmons involvement in a fight between two women in 2016 will surely be a cause for concern, but his avoidance of trouble while at college should help his cause. His on-field issues are self-created and largely due to a lack of instincts, but the physical tools and immense upside outweigh those concerns."

Simmons' full scouting report on NFL.com can be found **here**.

Stacking up: Draft analyst Dane Brugler, who writes for The Athletic, listed Simmons as the **fourth-best interior defensive lineman** in the draft. NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks has Simmons as his **fifth-best** defensive tackle, down three spots from his previous list. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com had Simmons as the 17th overall player on his **most-recent list** of the Top 50 prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft, up one spot from the previous ranking.

"The ACL tear Simmons suffered in February clearly diminishes his draft stock, but astute coaches will keep his disruptive game in mind and focus on how he could impact a unit when he returns from his injury," Brooks wrote.

Special teams ace: Simmons led the nation in 2017 with three blocked punts/kicks, becoming the first SEC player to do so since 2004. He recovered one of his blocked punts for a touchdown.