2019 NFL Draft: Jeffery Simmons injury shakes up 1st round
The unfortunate injury to Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons shakes up the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Despite an incident that happened before his days at Mississippi State, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was expected to be a top 10 selection in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Simmons reportedly suffered an ACL injury while training for the NFL Draft recently.
From @mortreport and me: Mississippi St. DT Jeffery Simmons, projected to be a top 15-pick in April, suffered a knee injury during training that is thought to be a torn ACL, per league sources. A statement to offer clarity on Simmons' injury is expected to be released today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2019
The injury to Simmons is a huge blow to the teams picking in the top 10 or even the top 15 of the 2019 NFL Draft.
For teams needing a presence on the interior defensive line, this injury combined with his off-field incident prior to college push him further down draft boards. For teams looking at positions other than defensive line, this means one fewer player going within the top 10-15 selections that will push other guys down the board.
Simmons put together a dominant couple of seasons at Mississippi State where he racked up 30 tackles for loss from 2017-18 and seven sacks.
An all-around stud, Simmons excelled playing the three technique position and would have been an instant starter in the NFL, but those plans are now effectively changed.
With a minimum 8-9 month recovery, some NFL team is likely going to have to draft and stash Simmons and that probably won’t happen until the second round at the very earliest. The first round should be just about completely out of the question.
One fairly recent example of a player suffering an unfortunate pre-draft injury and still going high is that of Washington cornerback Sidney Jones, a projected first-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft who wound up going 43rd overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jones played one game his rookie season in 2017, making it back from his injury (which occurred at the Washington Pro Day) in time to be utilized for even just a brief bit.
He played just nine games in year two.
The team that drafts Simmons will probably shut him down for the entire season, as ACL injuries can be very tricky and each case is completely different.
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In a defensive line class loaded with talent, this news is not great for teams who felt they could get an instant starter in the top 10 picks.