Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is one of the tougher projections in the 2019 NFL Draft. Simmons has flashed first-round caliber talent as a pass-rushing interior lineman who can win with power or speed.
Alas, there are complicating factors. Simmons carries with him the baggage of a fight that happened prior to his entering college where he struck a woman. He’s also currently injured. Simmons tore his ACL in training and is not likely to be 100 percent before the start of the 2019 NFL season. He will certainly miss a significant portion of the offseason, as a best-case scenario.
Browns GM John Dorsey will meet with the talented Simmons as one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits, according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network in an interview with Simmons.
Dorsey has not shied away from giving chances to players with domestic violence issues, dating back to his tenure as the GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. And to Simmons’ credit, he has remained squeaky clean since the one incident that happened several years ago.
The fact Dorsey will meet with him lends some credence to the theory that the injury and background might scare NFL teams enough that Simmons will fall into the middle of the second round.
