The Tennessee Titans have a slew of young talent up and down their roster, but was any of their up-and-coming players good enough to make Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 25 players under 25?
The answer to that question is not only yes, but two players from Tennessee made the cut — and fans probably won’t be surprised at who it is.
PFF’s Sam Monson ranked wide receiver A.J. Brown at No. 3 on his list, and then defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons at No. 23. Here’s what he had to say about both.
Brown:
Few receivers have the physical ability to dominate the way A.J. Brown does, and he may be even more dangerous this season now that Julio Jones is on the other side of the formation. Brown was the third-highest-graded receiver in the league in 2020. He has generated a passer rating of 130.1 since entering the league as a second-round pick in 2019.
Simmons:
Simmons is yet to reach the point where he dominates consistently every week, but the glimpses of what he can do each game are intoxicating. The former Mississippi State star recorded 44 total pressures last season to pair with 27 defensive stops, not to mention two single-game PFF grades above 90.0. More of that dominance in Year 3 could put him in the conversation as the league’s best interior defender not named Aaron Donald.
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It’s good to see Simmons getting some love here after he was left off of CBS Sports’ list and wasn’t even included in the honorable mentions section.
Brown and Simmons are entering Year 3 and the expectation is that both will take that next step and become the superstar players they have shown they can be during their first two years in the NFL.
Highest-graded 2nd year defenders:
1. Jeffery Simmons – 83.9
2. Quinnen Williams – 81.4
T-3. Montez Sweat – 79.7
T-3. Dexter Lawrence – 79.7 pic.twitter.com/M5R5mwpmmV— PFF (@PFF) February 22, 2021
And both will have more help than they did in 2020.
Brown is set to lineup across from superstar wideout Julio Jones, who on top of running back Derrick Henry will help take pressure off the Ole Miss product, which could lead to big production.
Meanwhile, Simmons will have help from defensive lineman Denico Autry and outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who together should help alleviate the extra attention offenses focused on the Mississippi State product in 2020, making his job much easier.
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