Should Baltimore Ravens Draft Auburn Playmaker Jaylin Simpson?

Is Auburn Tigers defensive back Jaylin Simpson an underrated NFL Draft prospect for the Baltimore Ravens?

The Baltimore Ravens are undeniably one of the best teams in the NFL, but that doesn’t mean the team can’t improve in this year’s NFL Draft. 

One player who has the potential to help the Ravens next season is senior Auburn Tigers defensive back Jaylin Simpson.

Auburn Tigers defensive back Jaylin Simpson (36)

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

A former three-sport athlete in high school, Simpson’s All-State background in both the high jump and basketball shows in how explosive he plays on the field and helps with his playmaking ability. At the NFL Combine, he recorded a 39.5 vertical jump and ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash while measuring 6-0 and weighing 179 pounds. 

Coming out of high school, Simpson was a four-star prospect who was viewed as someone who would need time to develop into a starter in the SEC. This year, in his fifth season at Auburn, he finally fulfilled the potential he had displayed in high school. 

In 2023, Simpson recorded four interceptions and took one in for a touchdown. Simpson's senior year interception total exceeded the combined total from all his other years as a Tiger (three). 

After losing safety Geno Stone in free agency to a divisional rival in the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore could use some more depth for the team’s secondary and someone with the ability to intercept passes like Simpson can. 

Should Simpson fall to the fourth round, where the Ravens hold the Denver Broncos No. 113 overall pick, the team could consider taking him as a long-term partner in the secondary for first-team All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.