Despite having to recover from a torn ACL, Tennessee Titans defensive lineman and 2019 first-round pick Jeffery Simmons still made a significant impact in his rookie season.
Simmons ended up playing in nine games during the regular season, recording 32 combined tackles and two sacks. He also added three combined tackles and recovered a fumble in three playoff games.
What didn’t show up on the stat sheet was just how much of a disrupter Simmons was upfront, both in the pass-rush and against the run. He also brings the perfect level of nasty to Tennessee’s defense.
In a list of the most underappreciated player from each team in the league by NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund, Simmons was the pick for the Titans.
The only AFC rookie to appear on this list is a player you need to know. Simmons’ ACL injury caused him to miss the first six games of the Titans’ season in 2019, but his ability to shut down potential rushers and pressure opposing passers in the back half of the campaign was huge for Tennessee. I put his contributions in that order because, with Jurrell Casey being traded to Denver, Simmons will be counted on by Mike Vrabel and Co. to be the Titans’ primary run stopper. I’m not too concerned about the 6-foot-4, 305-pounder filling that role, considering my computer vision already ranked him among the top 13 interior defenders in the league. He also has the potential to be an elite pass rusher — PFF credited him with three pressures on 11 rushes in his NFL debut (Week 7 vs. Chargers), which is ridiculous and unsustainable, but still a fun figure.
I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but I know those within the Titans’ fan base greatly appreciate what Big Jeff brings to the table and believe he can be a star in this league.
In 2020, Simmons will be tasked with taking the torch from Jurrell Casey, who was a stalwart on the Titans’ defensive line for nine seasons.
As good as Simmons was in his rookie campaign, he should be even better in his sophomore season now that he’ll have the benefit of a full training camp and has shed the knee brace that limited him a bit.
Tennessee will need the Mississippi State product to be at his best if the defense is going to see an improvement from its interior pass-rush, which was a major issue overall last season.
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