One of the handful of players eligible for the NFL supplemental draft recently held his pro day, and the Detroit Lions were one of several teams checking out former West Virginia wide receiver Marcus Simms.
The 6-foot, 188-pound wideout put on an impressive athletic display in nearly 100-degree heat. Per Tony Pauline of Draft Analyst, Simms’ numbers:
40-yard dash: 4.49, 4.45 and 4.40
Vertical: 36 inches
Broad jump: 124.5 inches
3-cone: 6.91
Short shuttle: 4.19
The Maryland native caught 46 passes for 699 yards and two TDs in 2018 and also has experience returning punts and kicks.
As a prospect, Simms is a frustrating study. He uses his speed and instant acceleration well to create space, and he’s very slippery after the catch. His quick feet and natural wiggle stand out. But he doesn’t have clean hands (he’s a body catcher) and comes from a scheme where his route variety was very basic. Simms will need to add functional strength to his body, too.
He’s in the supplemental draft after initially leaving West Virginia and entering the NCAA transfer portal. Simms has baggage: two separate DUIs and a marijuana offense. He also had issues with playing time and coaching, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
It seems unlikely the Lions would take a chance on Simms even though his skill set does fill a need. But there is no harm in the team checking him out and doing its homework.
