Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Boston College has fallen on hard times as a football program, but safety Justin Simmons has emerged from the mess as a top-notch NFL prospect.
S Justin Simmons
College: Boston College
Year: Senior
Birth Year: 1993
Height: 6-3
Weight: 201
Strengths
- Ideal size/strength for the position
- Will battle bigger receivers in the air at catch points
- Excellent ball skills with top-notch tracking skills down the field
- Good range to play single-high and work as a center fielder
- Outstanding tackler, breaks down well in space and shows perfect form
- Long arms help him latch on and drag down runners
- Good movement skills and closing burst to bring down ball carriers
- Takes wise angles in pursuit and in coverage
- Fully capable of defending flex tight ends and possession receivers in man coverage
- Active feet in the box, constantly eluding blocks and hunting the ball
- Sound run defender even deep, will fill lane/stay disciplined as last line of defense
- Good vision to decipher route combinations in zone
- Experienced (45 games), cerebral player who consistently positions well
- Durable, never missed a game during four years at BC
Weaknesses
- Good, not great overall athlete
- Not exceptionally instinctive
- Lacks the movement skills to mirror quicker receivers in man coverage
- Little stiff in the hips to turn and run vertically
- Doesn’t possess great click-and-close to disrupt passing windows
- Lacks elite speed, 40 time will be vital to draft stock
- Clunky footwork in coverage near LOS, much better in zone where he can read-and-react to ball
- Want to see more explosiveness in the air, wins more on length than hops
Analysis
As a college player, Simmons’ national obscurity can only be explained by Boston College’s immense struggles as a program over the past few years. Simmons was consistently a bright spot for the Eagles over his four collegiate seasons, appearing in every single contest at cornerback or safety.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Simmons definitely won’t be a cornerback in the NFL, as he lacks the fluidity and overall athleticism to be ideal in man coverage. He can match up with tight ends and less explosive receivers, but Simmons isn’t your typical twitched-up, ultra-athletic defensive back. His movement skills are fine, but they likely won’t drop any jaws, and all eyes will be on his 40 time during the combine in February.
What Simmons does bring to the table is extremely valuable however, as a deep cover safety with good range, ball skills, and smarts on the back end. Simmons reads route combinations and quarterbacks well from zone coverage, positioning appropriately to make plays on the ball or the ball carrier. He’s a tackling machine, rarely letting a runner escape his grasp, even in the open field. Simmons isn’t the most explosive closer on the football, but his length and long strides help him make up ground despite that fact.
As a run defender, Simmons is impressive both from a deep zone and in the box. Around the line of scrimmage Simmons showsImage may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
active feet and eyes to avoid blockers and find the football. He arrives under control and does not lose contain, breaking down adeptly in space to corral runners quickly. Even from single-high coverage, Simmons takes great angles to the ball and times his tackles well, slowing ball carriers with his calm approach rather than going for the kill shot. Simmons’ discipline prevented several big run plays against Boston College this season, and NFL coaches will love that aspect of his game.
I’m admittedly a big fan of Simmons, but I think he needs a strong combine performance if he wants to be selected earlier than mid-second day. He offers a ton of great qualities, but NFL teams want athletes at the safety position, and even in a weak class, others could be more enticing than Simmons in that area. With his experience, smarts, and discipline however, Simmons may very well have a better career than many of the players selected ahead of him. As long as his testing isn’t abysmal, I like him in the early portions of the second round as a guy who can step into a starting role early and fill a number of different roles for a defense.
Grade: Second Round
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
