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Tennessee Titans: DT Jeffery Simmons Has Joined The Elite Tier

By Jacob Schyvinck

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 18: Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates the win at the end of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium on October 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Bills 34-31. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 18: Jeffery Simmons #98 of the Tennessee Titans celebrates the win at the end of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Nissan Stadium on October 18, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Bills 34-31. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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The Tennessee Titans have a defense that’s coming on of late, and part of the reason is defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

The Tennessee Titans have had a bit of a wild season as we reach the halfway point. After getting shellacked in week one against the Cardinals, they’ve responded well, beating two top teams in the Bills and Rams along with dominating the Chiefs. They had a rough showing against the Jets, but they’re looking like one of the top teams in the NFL right now.

It remains to be seen how they will handle the loss of Derrick Henry down the stretch, but as long as the A.J. Brown/Julio Jones duo keeps them afloat, there’s a decent chance Henry returns for the postseason. What’s really eye-opening is how well the defense is playing of late, and that starts with the group up front. Harold Landry is having a career year, but it’s Jeffery Simmons joining the elite ranks that’s helping them the most.

Simmons was a first round pick for the Titans back in the 2019 NFL Draft, and fell due to the ACL tear suffered in his final season in college. The blue chip talent was always there, and he looked as good as any prospect in that class when he was on the field.

Everything is coming to fruition in year three for Simmons, and it’s paying off for that Titans defense. Simmons has 42 pressures in 2021 (which leads the DTs) and 27 since week six, which is an absurd number. He had 10 pressures alone against the Rams, and added three sacks for good measure.

Aside from the stats, it’s the film that pops. Simmons is lightning quick off the ball, and has incredible bend and flexibility for a defensive tackle. His quickness is elite, as he can work around offensive linemen quickly to make plays in the backfield. Simmons also boasts incredible power in his hands, core, and lower half. He can toss linemen out of the way and wins with good placement and leverage on bull rushes, converting that explosion into power.

All that said is that it’s impressive to watch Jeffery Simmons be able to win in multiple ways as a pass rusher and a run defender. He doesn’t just have one tool in the toolbox, he can break out a different one whenever he likes. Simmons showed his explosion off the snap to shoot the gap for one, walked a guard back with power great hand placement and disengaged for another, and held his ground and disengaged quickly with Matthew Stafford maneuvering around for his third. He even forced a big time turnover with great closing speed on a stunt in the first half.

The Tennessee Titans will be a dangerous team in the postseason if they can consistently get home with four like they did against the Rams, and Jeffery Simmons will be a big reason why. He’s definitely reach the elite tier of defensive tackles and perhaps even defensive players in general. He made the huge leap in year three, and he’s going to be fun to watch throughout his career.

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