Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has had a rough spring.
Accused of domestic violence in 2016, Simmons pleaded no contest to simple assault and malicious mischief. Because of his legal history, Simmons was not invited to attend this year’s NFL combine.
To make matters worse, Simmons suffered a torn ACL while working out in February and will likely be unavailable for the 2019 season.
Despite the setback, the USA TODAY is still projecting the Seahawks select Simmons with the No. 21 overall pick in the NFL draft. This is not an April Fools’ joke.
“Seattle still seems like a solid bet to move back given its league-low four picks,” Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz writes. “But if the Seahawks stay here, they could swing big for Simmons, a top-10 talent who seemingly will need a redshirt year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in February.”
The Seahawks seem poised to trade back in the first round to acquire some of the picks they are missing this season. But should they decide to stay put at No. 21, drafting a player who won’t see the field for at least year seems a huge gamble in the first round, but one that could pay off big time down the road.
