Mock drafts have regularly predicted that defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons will be off the board early in the first round, but the next wave of projections will likely drop him down the order a little bit.
ESPN reports that Simmons injured his knee while training for pre-draft workouts. That report indicates that the belief is that Simmons tore his ACL and that he will release a statement on Tuesday with more information about his status.
Simmons had 30.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and five fumbles over 37 games at Mississippi State and is part of a strong group of defensive line prospects headed into the NFL this year. He was not set to be at the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis as a result of a no contest plea to an assault charge that led to a one-game suspension while in college.
A torn ACL will impact where Simmons goes in the draft as well as when he’ll be able to start his professional career, but he should be able to make a full recovery barring any other complications and that should keep him from sliding too far down boards come April.