Despite Tennessee Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons coming off two consecutive second-team All-Pro seasons, which subsequently led to him earning a massive contract extension this offseason, you could make an argument that he is still largely underrated.
When the Mississippi State legend is fully healthy, he is the definition of a game-wrecker who is seemingly around the ball on every single play.
Anyone with Simmons’ natural talent will be a problem, but when you combine his skill set with the type of relentless motor he possesses, the former first-round pick can be damn-near unblockable on any given play.
As great as Derrick Henry is, one could make a very strong argument that Simmons is the best player on the team, regardless of position.
This is something that Eric Edholm of NFL.com appears to agree with. In an article in which he predicts each AFC team’s non-QB MVP, Edholm went with the All-Pro defender as his choice for the Titans.
Here is what Edholm had to say regarding Simmons:
The Titans are in a strange spot as a team right now, hanging on to past pillars such as Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill while also starting to refresh other elements of the roster. But one other team strength lies on the defensive line, and it’s a good enough crew to keep Tennessee competitive in the AFC South, which has something of a mixed bag of offensive-line talent.
The group is led by Simmons, arguably one of the two or three best at his position. He wasn’t quite as impactful in 2022 as he was in 2021, fading a bit down the stretch as he was slowed by knee and ankle injuries. The Titans also lost a little bit of their depth via the departures of DeMarcus Walker and Mario Edwards.
But Simmons, Denico Autry, and Teair Tart comprise a truly underrated trio inside. And while the Titans didn’t spend a single draft pick to help the defense, a healthy Harold Landry returning outside certainly will help Simmons and that group.
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels31) July 5, 2023
If the Titans are going to be legitimate contenders in 2023, chances are they’re going to need an elite performance from the defensive front.
It will be up to Simmons and Co. to consistently wreak havoc on opposing offenses in hopes of keeping the score manageable so the offense doesn’t have to get into any shootouts.
Fortunately, Tennessee’s defense is finally healthy again and coming off a season in which the unit finished with the best run defense in football, even with all the injuries the team dealt with.
The Titans also finished tied for the ninth-highest defensive rushing success rate in the past 10 years, producing a successful defensive run stop on 69.8 percent of their snaps.
so many clips against the Titans looked like this. Teair Tart and Jeffery Simmons make for an awesome Bash Brothers pairing and David Long would be there to clean up everything else. https://t.co/BVybI4MP1k
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) June 23, 2023
Simmons is obviously a major reason for that type of success, and as he hits his prime, you’d have to imagine his impact will only continue to increase with each passing year as long as he can stay healthy.
