2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Tennessee DL Elijah Simmons

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Tennessee DL Elijah Simmons.

#10 Elijah Simmons/DL TENNESSEE (RS-Senior-6th) – 6010, 334 lbs.

The Good

— Strong explosiveness off the line
— Plays with great balance that allows him to hold blockers up
— Impressive play strength
— Can bull rush blockers and manipulate their leverage to get in the backfield
— Low pad level gives advantage vs double teams
— Eats double teams due to wide frame and allows linebackers to flow
— Disciplined when fitting gaps
— Decent overall athletic ability because of explosives and balance
— High motor

The Bad

— Extremely low number of snaps played (around 10-15 snaps per game)
— Used as a reserve to give starters rest
— Played fresh all the time so film could be inflated
— Did not play in pass situations
— Will have to live at noseguard
— Weak agility and slow change of direction
— Cannot be used in stunts because of slow foot movement
— Not a lot of pass rush skill
— Uses no hands to make a blocker miss
— Old age

Bio

— Started 6 games at defensive tackle on a heavy rotating defensive line across 6 years at Tennessee. All the starts were as a RS-Freshman and Sophomore
— 2024: 11 tackles and 4 TFL
— Assisted defensive in making college football playoffs
— 2023: 19 tackles and 3 TFL
— 2022: 9 tackles and 1 TFL
— In 2021, he suffered an injury that affected him for the rest of the season
— Three-star recruit out of Pearl-Cohn High School in Nashville
— Named the 2018 Region 5-3A Defensive MVP
— Led defense to winning 4-straight Regional Championships
— Won state titles in the shot put and discus
— Simmons loves to sing, and he grew up in choir and was in an a cappella group called the Fab Five

Tape Breakdown

Elijah Simmons had an interesting college career, starting as a starter before moving to a reserve role. Tennessee had a heavy rotation of players that ran 10 deep, and he was on the back end of the playing time. He played around 10-15 snaps a game, but it is not because he is a bad player, more because of how loaded Tennessee’s defensive line was. Because of this, his film could be inflated because he was extremely well-rested in every snap, going against offensive linemen who played every snap. I have questions about how he can consistently play and why he was low on the depth chart. There is no denying he has the skill to play, but was his work ethic an issue, or was it simply an overflow of productive defensive linemen?

When Simmons was in the game, he made the most of his reps. He has a wide frame and weighs a lot, but his athleticism is impressive. He explodes off the ball and can shoot gaps. I prefer him at nose because he will have the center stressed when having to snap the ball quickly and block a massive human in front of him. As the ball is snapped, he has a great pad level that can force the blocker to bend forward to block him, losing their power. He makes contact with square shoulders and a strong base. The combination of speed and power allows him to win as the ball is snapped. In this play, he does not make a play on the quarterback, but you can see the explosiveness off the line.

The leverage contact balance that Simmons plays with allows him to hold up blockers and locate the football. When an offensive lineman attaches to him, he does a good job of keeping his head up while also using his arm to keep the blocker away from him. This allows him to chase down the ball carrier and make a play. On this play, he is lined up in a 2i and uses that explosiveness to get off the ball quickly while using his left arm to make a tackle.

He did not show up on the stat sheet much but made plays that contributed to the defense’s success. The best thing he does is eat double teams. Obviously, he will not show up great on film when double-teamed, but he eats them and allows linebackers to flow. The key to playing double teams is securing your anchor to the turf and staying in your assigned gap. Simmons does this very well while also fighting until the whistle is blown. This is a huge positive for a defense, as the climbing offensive lineman on a combo block cannot get to the second level for fear of Simmons making a play. This results in linebackers cleaning up house as an unblocked player. He does a good job eating double teams, but he can also make impact plays, like on this play, showing off his athleticism and bend.

Simmons does a lot of things well but has some flaws that show up. As a defensive lineman, it is hard to win reps consistently, and it would be unfair to hold someone to that standard. However, I have concerns about his athleticism, although I love his explosiveness and balance off the ball. His change of direction is slow, and when the ball goes opposite of him by just a gap, he has a tough time swinging his body around to chase down the ball carrier. Because of this, he is a straight rusher, and it is hard to run stunts because of his slower foot movement after he gets out of his stance. He will be used as a run defender because he rarely wins 1v1 situations. If he does not win with explosiveness off the snap, he can be controlled by stronger offensive linemen and pushed around the field. He will need a lot of focus to stick to his low pad level to take up space. On this play, he stands too high and gets pushed around the field.

Conclusion

Elijah Simmons is an intriguing prospect because his film is mostly positive; there’s just not a lot of reps. As stated before, was it because of his work ethic or numbers issue? I want to believe his work ethic is there because of how he plays in practice, but we are not there. He is also an older player, turning 24 before the 2025 season starts. His film impressed me with his explosiveness and contact balance, especially at his high weight. He handles double teams well and can make impact plays that help his defense. But he struggles with changing direction and lacks pass rush ability. The sample size is too small, and his age worries me because it looks like he is maxed out. I think he can be a good depth piece on an NFL roster, similar to his college role. My comp for him is John Penisini.

Projection: Late Day 3
Depot Draft Grade: 6.6 – Fifth Round (Backup/Special Teamer)
Games Watched: vs. Florida (2024), vs Alabama (2024), vs Kentucky (2024), at Georgia (2024), at Ohio State (2024)