Bulldogs in the NFL: Will Jeffery Simmons make his first Pro Bowl in 2021?
Former Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons has not yet been named to a Pro Bowl since he was drafted by the Tennessee Titans at No. 19 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Of course, it's still early on in his career, but it's easy to see a Pro Bowl nod on the horizon for Simmons given how quickly he's become an important part of the Titans defense -- and he did so while making a remarkably fast recovery from a torn ACL.
Simmons started all 15 games he appeared in on the 2020 season, accumulating 14 quarterback hits and five pass breakups. He also posted 49 total tackles (24 solo), three tackles for loss and three sacks.
Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated is just one person who believes Simmons has what it takes to make the Pro Bowl this season.
"Simmons had 14 quarterback hits and five pass breakups in addition to three sacks and three fumble recoveries in 2020," he wrote. "Most incredibly, Simmons was among the league leaders in net yards over average against the run, which, when accounting for snap percentages and actual time on the field, was astounding. None of the three players who finished in front of him played anywhere close to 75% of their teams snaps, yet Simmons held a -0.71 yards average over the course of almost 900 snaps. So, the Titans could count on a run against them going for almost a yard less when Simmons was on the field."
Simmons obviously brings an immense amount of talent to the table, and he's really just getting started.
It also doesn't help that he was getting so much attention from opponents' offenses last season, but there's some hope that with guys like defensive lineman Denico Autry and outside linebacker Bud Dupree now on the roster, some of that could be alleviated moving forward.
Expect Simmons to become even more of a major force for the Titans in 2021 than he already has been, coming off a more normal offseason than last year and with more substantial pieces around him on defense.
