The New England Patriots have six picks in the first three rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft, and most assume they’ll use their first-round selection to grab someone who can make an immediate impact. However, the Patriots have built a dynasty by investing their resources in great values and buying players for pennies on the dollar. Because of this, the New England Patriots could select defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with their first-round pick. Simmons tore his ACL in February but is a top-10 talent when healthy.
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New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Targets: Jeffery Simmons
Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was one of the most dominant and unstoppable forces in the college landscape. Box score analysis doesn’t do Simmons justice, as teams constantly double- and triple-teamed him. Even with the added focus from opposing offensive lines, Simmons managed to record 18 tackles-for-loss in just 13 games. Simmons’ impressive play earned him First-Team All-SEC honors for the second time in his collegiate career.
Simmons is an athletic freak boasting unmatched strength, athleticism, and toughness. At 6’4” and 301 pounds, Simmons has the size to be a great run-stuffer and the speed to generate interior pressure on a consistent basis. While his instincts could use some work, there’s no denying he’d fit New England’s scheme and needs.
The Patriots will need to find a young, team-controlled defensive tackle in the near future. Adam Butler is entering the final year of his deal while Lawrence Guy and Mike Pennel will be free agents at the end of the 2020 season. Butler will be a restricted free agent, so he could come back. However, Guy and Pennel will both be on the wrong side of 30 once they hit free agency and might not be back.
Simmons wouldn’t be able to contribute in 2019, but he’d help plug a big hole on future Patriots’ teams. Bill Belichick always tries to address needs one year in advance, and players like Simmons aren’t typically available near the end of the first round.
Possible Problems
Simmons comes with his share of red flags, so the Patriots might not take him even if he was available at pick 32. The biggest red flag with Simmons is what happened just before he made his collegiate debut. Already committed to Mississippi State, Simmons was arrested for assaulting a woman in March of 2016. A video of the incident surfaced, and Simmons pled guilty to the crime.
Since then, Simmons has managed to keep his nose clean. The defensive tackle has stayed out of trouble since officially joining Mississippi State and even won Mississippi’s Newsom Award in 2018. The Newsom Award is handed out to honor a players’ work both on and off the field, so perhaps he truly did turn a new leaf. However, one can never feel comfortable with someone with that type of history on the team, and the Patriots will need to do extensive research to clear his character.
The only major on-field worry with Simmons is his health. Obviously, he won’t be able to play in 2019 due to his torn ACL. In theory, Simmons can come back completely healthy and return to his old form. However, that’s not always the case. ACL treatment has dramatically improved over the last decade or so, but there’s still no guarantee that Simmons can return to his old form. Injuries are a concern for every player, as football is a high-contact sport. However, Simmons carries more injury risk than most and will need to catch up to the NFL game while also rehabbing from a serious knee injury.
Last Word
Jeffery Simmons is a top-10 talent who has a very real chance of being available when the Patriots are on the clock. Simmons won’t be able to contribute in 2019 due to his knee injury but could be one of the top defensive tackles in the league by 2020. Elite talents like him aren’t usually on the board when New England drafts and the value might be too good for the Patriots to turn down.
Every defensive tackle of note is about to hit free agency within the next two years, and the Patriots need to get younger at the position. With five other picks in the first three rounds, New England can afford to draft Simmons while still adding impactful rookies onto their 2019 roster.
Of course, there is a reason a talent like Simmons could ever fall to New England. The Mississippi State product won’t be able to play in 2019 and theoretically might not be the same guy. More importantly, Simmons has a sketchy past caused by his 2016 assault charge. While he’s steered clear of trouble over the last three years, that black stain on his record cannot be overlooked.
Simmons has the talent to be the next Ndamukong Suh. However, the Patriots have been down this road before. Back in 2014, New England used their first-round pick to select Dominique Easley, a high-ceiling defensive tackle with knee and character issues. That obviously didn’t work out for New England, and Simmons has a similar profile. While Simmons has a higher ceiling than Easley, his character concerns are significantly worse.
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