On Sunday, the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams to win Super Bowl LIII.
But while the 2018 NFL season has come to an end, draft season is only just beginning. And even though they're picking later than they've become accustomed to, the Cleveland Browns once again find themselves the subject of rumors and innuendo.
As has become customary in recent years, post-Super Bowl Monday there were no shortage of mock drafts to be found across the internet. But while most are admittedly based on speculation at this point, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com took a more definitive approach when projecting the Browns to select Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons with the No. 17 pick of this spring's draft.
"I may demand a mulligan on this pick, but a terrific source tells me the belief is that Brown general manager John Dorsey will select Simmons," Pauline wrote.
A 6-foot-4, 301-pound interior lineman, Simmons could certainly fill the void of what could be considered Cleveland's biggest need this offseason -- space-eating, playmaking defensive tackle to pair alongside Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi on the team's defensive line. A 2-time All-SEC selection, Simmons amassed 7 sacks and 29 tackles for loss over the course of his final two seasons in Starkville.
Furthermore, Dorsey has a history of giving players with a history of off-field second chances and in that respect, Simmons fits the mold. Shortly after arriving at Mississippi State in 2016, a video surfaced of the 5-star prospect repeatedly striking a woman as she lay on the ground.
Simmons was arrested and charged with simple assault. He was ultimately suspended for one game.
Although he is considered one of the most talented players in the 2019 draft, Simmons won't be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine as a result of the altercation -- although that hasn't stopped Dorsey from selecting troubled players before. In Kansas City, he drafted future Pro Bowl receiver Tyreek Hill and just last year, he drafted current Browns wideout Antonio Callaway.
Whether or not he'd be willing to take a similar gamble on Simmons remains to be seen.
At this point, however, only one aspect of the Browns' draft strategy seems to be assured: Despite Pauline's certainty, Simmons won't be the last named to be linked to Cleveland between now and April 25.
