Edge Colin Simmons Knows His Strengths and Weaknesses

This is exactly how University of Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons looks on his 2025 game film.

COILED AND READY TO ROLL

Then the ball is snapped…

And that’s where it gets confusing.

No doubt, Simmons is a film evaluation that requires close attention to detail.

It will be easy for people to fall in love with his highlights, and even easier for NFL teams to fall in love with his traits in the pre-draft process.

🚨TEXTBOOK WORKOUT WARRIOR ALERT

This isn’t about highlights, and it’s not just about traits. It’s about the traits that consistently show up on the film.

And that’s where this goes sideways for me.

He flashes the traits.

And that’s the scariest word in scouting: flashes.

To make things even more confusing, he has the numbers.

Per Pro Football Focus⎯

Simmons logged 10 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and 35 quarterback hurries last season.

Wow.

Not bad.

Sounds impressive.

And I guess it was against his level of competition, but we’re not talking about college-level competition; we are talking about how Simmons projects to the NFL.

And that’s where I have concerns.

Path of least resistance

That’s how Simmons got a lot of his pass-rush production, and, for that matter, his run production as well.

Simmons is opportunistic.

Meaning?

Much of his production came when he was left unblocked or minimally blocked.

I don’t think he’ll find anywhere near as many opportunities like that in the NFL against higher-level competition.

Elementary pass rush

This is where things start making more sense.

At first glance⎯

Simmons has a nice arsenal of pass rush moves (I charted how many times he used each):

• Headfake (18x)
• Swim (11x)
• Spin (11x)
• Bull rush (5x)
• Slap (2x)
• Rip (1x)

But here’s the deal⎯

He plays like a baby rattlesnake. He shows all these moves, but it doesn’t seem like he has a natural feel for when to use them, and beyond that, he has NO SECONDARY PASS RUSH PLAN. Once his initial pass rush moves are stopped, he’s toast.

And about that bull rush…

It only gets him so far.

Keep the secret

This is when things start to make even more sense as to why he depends on the “Path of least resistance” to put up a lot of his production.

There were numerous examples on game film when Simmons clearly lost track of the ball or got fooled by play misdirection. He also seemed to “magnetize” to blockers (instead of space). He gets tied up way too easily.

This is likely why he just plays it cool a lot of the time unless he’s got a clear shot⎯

To avoid being exposed even more.

NFL crystal ball

At this point in the evaluation process on Simmons⎯

Longterm⎯

I see him as a situational pass rusher in the NFL.

He’s average against the run and VERY average looking dropping into short zone and man pass coverage.

By the time his twelve games were done playing, I’d seen enough.

I’d seen more than enough.

#1 Colin Simmons 6-foot-3, 246 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Fall Grade: Second-Round (I wouldn’t select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of September 8, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Ohio State, San Jose State, Sam Houston, Florida, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Michigan (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Inconsistent prospect. Plays in the rotation. Long arms. Thick thighs. Will be more of a pressure guy than a sack artist in the NFL. Flip-flops on the left and right sides of the line pre-snap. Can put his hand down in the dirt. Mostly, lines up standing up. Has bend. Excellent short-area initial quickness. Twitchy. Good athleticism and pocket adjustment ability. Flashes good close and pursuit once he’s freed up, but he’s inconsistent with it. Gets too complacent at times. Inconsistent shed vs. run. Misses some tackles he was in position to make.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season

1. Does he look like he’s using his pass rush moves at the right times?

2. Showing a secondary pass rush plan?

3. How does he look against the run?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.