​The NFL is currently in a lull before training camps begin. Minicamps wrapped up in mid-to-late June, and in most cases players won’t report for camp for at least another 10 days. During this window, NFL.com is gradually releasing its top 100 players list. One notable misstep in this process involves Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was placed at No. 83—an placement many feel should be considerably higher. It’s worth noting that Bobby Wagner was listed at No. 81, despite being a free agent at the time of writing. Yet, Simmons isn’t universally undervalued; there are voices that still recognize his impact.
The NFL.com list is voter-driven by players, but an ESPN article recently commissioned rankings from NFL executives and scouts to gauge the league’s best defensive tackles. In that survey, Simmons was ranked No. 2 among all defensive tackles. To prepare for the 2025 season, Simmons shed 20 pounds to boost his quickness, though strength has never been in question for him. The move paid off: he delivered his best season yet, recording 11 sacks on a 16.3% total pass rush win rate while facing double-teams more than 65% of the time. That win rate ranked a close second among defensive tackles, and his 17 tackles for loss led interior linemen.
Simmons narrowly missed the No. 1 spot in the voting. A veteran NFL defensive coach remarked, “His tape was phenomenal, and it’s even more impressive doing it on a three-win team with little assistance around him.” In addition to the pass rush, Simmons forced three fumbles and logged 21 quarterback hits last season, plus he won 20 pass-rush snaps against double-teams. The production helped him secure a first-team All-Pro honor and a three-year, $105.8 million contract extension this offseason. “His strength is elite, and now that he’s unlocking his pass-rush potential, he should continue to play at a very high level,” said an NFL coordinator.
Through 15 games in 2025, Simmons had accumulated 67 tackles (39 solo) alongside the 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, plus three forced fumbles, three passes defensed, and 13 tackles for a loss. But it’s not merely the statistics that define him. Simmons injects a palpable energy into the defensive line that most teams can only dream of possessing. He stays locked in on his responsibilities and drives the entire unit’s focus, a quality that makes him a keystone player beyond the box score.
Among defensive tackles, only Leonard Williams (Seattle Seahawks) ranked higher than Simmons in the executives’ and scouts’ assessments, with Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles) coming in third. If the Seahawks don’t hoist the Super Bowl in 2025, Williams’ status relative to Simmons could shift further. The gap between how executives and scouts evaluate players versus how players deploy their peers’ perspectives is noteworthy. Simmons has been dominant at his position for years, yet the Titans’ often-struggling team profile tends to obscure him in some national lists. Still, what he does on film—and what opponents must account for when game-planning against the Titans’ defense—speaks for itself, regardless of team record.
As we continue into the season, the divergence between player perception and executive-scouter evaluation remains a compelling storyline. Simmons has proven his ability to affect games in multiple ways, and the broader consensus among evaluators highlights his place among the elite at his position.