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Dallas Cowboys Draft: 10 Defensive Tackles and their Potential Fit

By Adithya Prabakaran

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Quinnen Williams #92 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Quinnen Williams #92 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on against the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 27: Trayveon Williams #5 of the Texas A&M Aggies runs with the ball as Jeffery Simmons #94 and Mark McLaurin #41 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs defend during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS – OCTOBER 27: Trayveon Williams #5 of the Texas A&M Aggies runs with the ball as Jeffery Simmons #94 and Mark McLaurin #41 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs defend during the second half at Davis Wade Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Jeffery Simmons, Mississippi State

What’s Good: Hand Usage, Pad Level, Agility

What Ain’t Good: Off-field Incidents, Injury

Simmons is truly an unbelievable talent, which would usually mean he’d be a Top 15 talent. However, an off-field incident and an ACL injury have seriously lowered his draft stock, or so we think. We have no idea which team like him and where they think his value sits but conventional wisdom would suggest he doesn’t get selected before pick 20.

So why did I include him on this list if he is going to be a first rounder? Simply because you don’t know what to expect on draft day. We were gifted Randy Gregory in 2015 and maybe the Cowboys could find themselves in a similar situation this year with Simmons?

Simmons is a complete tackle. He can pass rush and he’s a solid run stopper. Somethings that make him more effective than other pass rushers are, his supreme hand usage, his consistent pad height, and his change of direction.

In most film that I watched, Simmons was double teamed on a consistent basis, but his ability to swipe past people or push people around helped him reach the backfield on numerous occasions. His ability use his leverage in order to drive multiple people backwards or in a different direction is simply magical stuff.

His off-field concerns are noteworthy. In 2016 he was seen striking a woman and was charged with simple assault. This incident prevented him from attending the NFL Combine and is certainly a red flag NFL teams will have to remember when picking Simmons.

In addition, tearing your ACL before your pro day will always have a negative impact. The same thing has occurred to Bryce Love among some other things and his draft stock has plummeted so low that people don’t even know who he is anymore.

In all, Simmons is a really good defensive tackle that could find himself in the second round. If the Cowboys really like him, they could defy all odds and look to trade up for his services.

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