Why the Titans drafted Jeffery Simmons

Jeffery Simmons is a guy that would have been a top 10 pick in this draft if not for the torn ACL he suffered while training for the NFL Combine. The Titans had to be pretty thrilled that he was still on the board when it was their turn on the clock. GM Jon Robinson even said he had offers to trade down, but he decided to go ahead and pick Simmons.

The why the Titans took Simmons is pretty obvious. They have been looking for an impact player on the defensive line to pair with Jurrell Casey since they drafted Casey. Simmons gives them not only that but a guy that can create pressure up the middle. It cannot be overstated just how important that is in today’s NFL. You need a guy that can push the QB off his spot. Simmons can absolutely do that.

Mike Vrabel called Simmons “disruptive” during the press conference after the pick was made. That is really what this pick was all about. Simmons has the potential to make this entire defense better once he is healthy and on the field. He makes it easier to rush off the edge by crashing the pocket, and of course, makes the secondary’s job easier by giving the QB less time to throw.

There are still plenty of questions to be answered here. You have the off the field issue with Simmons before he enrolled at Mississippi State. To his credit, he hasn’t had any issues since that and took full responsibility for what happened every time he was asked tonight. Robinson said Simmons is a good guy that made a mistake. Simmons said he welcomes the chance to prove himself in the community.

Terry and I broke the pick down on Locked on Titans tonight. You can listen to that show here.