Projected 1st-round pick Jeffery Simmons suffers knee injury, torn ACL feared

One of the top defensive prospects in the 2019 NFL draft class has suffered a knee injury that could send his stock plummeting.

Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, projected by most as a top-20 pick in this year’s draft, suffered a knee injury during training that is feared to be a torn ACL, per Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen of ESPN:

From @mortreport and me: Mississippi St. DT Jeffery Simmons, projected to be a top 15-pick in April, suffered a knee injury during training that is thought to be a torn ACL, per league sources. A statement to offer clarity on Simmons' injury is expected to be released today.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 12, 2019

Simmons was already facing off-field concerns stemming from an incident just prior to his arrival at Mississippi State when he was arrested for assaulting a woman. Due to the past arrest, Simmons has been barred from attending this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

If Simmons indeed suffered a serious injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him fall to sometime on Day 2 of draft weekend.