John Simpson Overview
Position: Interior Offensive Line
Height: 6’-4”
Weight: 321 pounds
School: Clemson
NFL Combine Performance Data
40-Yard Dash: 5.24 seconds
Bench Press: 34 reps
Vertical Jump: 30.0”
Broad Jump: 107.0”
3 Cone Drill: 8.03 seconds
20 Yard Shuttle: 4.87 seconds
John Simpson 2020 NFL Draft
After four seasons with the Clemson Tigers, interior offensive lineman John Simpson is looking to take his talents to the NFL level. In 2019, the 6’-4” left guard appeared in 732 snaps without allowing a single sack. He did, however, allow two quarterback hits and 11 hurries while on the field.
Simpson initially joined the collegiate ranks as a four-star recruit in 2016. After being used rotationally in 2016 and 2017, the South Carolina native finally earned a starting job as a junior. During the 2018 season, Simpson allowed just one sack, one hit, and six hurries during his 857 snaps on the field. He did all this while adding a physical presence in the run game.
Strengths
- Prototypical size and strength for the position;
- Unstoppable when he gets two hands on a defender;
- Upper body strength is unmatched and doesn’t need his legs to win a rep;
- Effective getting to the second level and blowing up linebackers;
- Can be effectively used as a pull blocker.
Weaknesses
- Mediocre athlete with below-average lateral agility;
- Struggles to keep his balance when working in space in pass protection;
- Hasn’t demonstrated any noteworthy improvement over his collegiate tenure;
- Slow out of his stance and can get beat easily by speed;
- Draws too many penalties;
- Has trouble identifying and handling stunts/blitzes.
NFL Comparison: Jamil Douglas
Teams With Need at Position: Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks
Projection: 4th/5th Round
Bottom Line on John Simpson
John Simpson is probably going to start out as a backup, but he has some interesting traits. From a build standpoint, he’s everything you want in a guard. Blessed with ideal size and muscle, Simpson knows how to use every last ounce of his strength to absolutely destroy defenders in the run game. He never loses once he has a defender lined up and is a genuine joy to watch when he’s at his best. Additionally, he can be successfully used as a pull blocker and can make plays in the second level.
The biggest hurdle for Simpson to clear is going to be in the passing game. Simpson is slow out of his stance and has subpar lateral agility, which is a death blow for pass protection. He’ll need to improve his speed, as faster defenders can just blow right by him. Additionally, he struggles to maintain his balance when he’s not attacking, which only makes things worse for his long-term outlook. On top of that, he draws too many penalties and struggles to identify disguised blitzes, which could mean his football IQ isn’t where it needs to be. There is hope that Simpson can develop into an NFL starter, but a lot needs to happen before that dream can become a reality.
Main photo:
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