Delvon Simmons, DT, USC: 2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report
Delvon Simmons, a 2011 four-star recruit, began his college career at Texas Tech. He played a reserve role in 2011, before starting 13 games for the Red Raiders as a sophomore.
After sitting out the 2013 season to transfer to USC, he started 24 of 27 career games for the Trojans, including all 14 as a senior.
He finished his college career with 141 tackles, 20.5 for a loss and eight sacks.
He possesses a solid combination of height and weight on a top-heavy frame with solid athletic ability.
Measureables
Height: 6’5” 1/8
Weight: 298 lbs
Pro Day Results
40-Yard Dash: 5.46 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.87 seconds
Bench Press: 23 reps
Vertical Jump: 25 inches
Broad Jump: 8’2”
Three Cone: 7.97 seconds
Short Shuttle: 4.93 seconds
Games Watched
2015: Arizona State, California, Notre Dame, Stanford, UCLA
Strengths
Delvon Simmons is a solid athlete who has a quick get-off at the snap. He shows off quick hands as he’s able to absorb the offensive lineman’s initial punch. After absorbing the initial contact, Simmons displays good mental processing skills as he diagnoses the play before aggressively attacking the offensive lineman.
On passing plays, Simmons shows off a solid repertoire of moves, including a bull rush and swim and chop moves to help him shoot the gaps. As you can see in the play below, Simmons is able to hook the right guard’s arm and shoot through the A gap before stopping the ball carrier for a loss.
The UCLA game was one of Simmons’ best tapes as he created problems for both UCLA guards, especially Alex Redmond.
On screens, Simmons shows good awareness as he drops and chases the play rather than the quarterback.
As a run defender, Simmons possesses solid play speed and athletic ability as he’s able to make plays down the line of scrimmage as a result of good lateral quickness. He also has surprising quickness downfield as he doesn’t give up on plays and will make stops 10-15 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. His competitive toughness and high motor will appeal to teams late in the draft.
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Weaknesses
Simmons has a very top-heavy frame and it’s immediately noticeable on tape. His balance is marginal as he has a poor base and plays too high to gain immediate leverage on an offensive lineman. That, in addition to his poor lower body strength, allows linemen to fuel their blocks and drive him off the line of scrimmage in the running game or stand him up in the passing game.
That’s exactly what happens in the play below as left guard Quenton Nelson has no trouble gaining leverage and stonewalling Simmons at the line of scrimmage. Unless he learns to play a lot lower, Simmons will be ineffective on passing downs.
After the offensive lineman’s initial punch, Simmons is slow with his hands and struggles to get them placed inside the lineman’s pads. As a result, he loses leverage and is forced away from the point of attack. Once blocked, he does an adequate job of disengaging and shedding.
Overall
Overall, Delvon Simmons is a backup defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme who can develop into a rotational piece if he improves his technique. He does not possess a strong enough speed rush to play the five technique. He was heavily recruited out of high school and the hope was he would turn into a DeForest Buckner type prospect.
However, Simmons does not have the athletic ability or strength of a typical 3-4 DE and will be forced to play inside, where skilled collegiate offensive linemen have gotten the better of him. It’s unlikely Simmons will be drafted as it will take a lot of patience from a coaching staff to help him come close to his potential. As we know, NFL coaching staffs aren’t the most patient people in the world.