Mississippi State Defensive Tackle, Projected First-Round Draft Pick Jeffery Simmons Tears ACL

Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons–who had already been informed that he would not be invited to the NFL combine– tore his ACL last weekend while training for the upcoming 2019 draft and will undergo surgery early next week as a result. Simmons announced the injury on Twitter on Tuesday.

The junior lineman was widely considered to be a potential top-15 pick in April's draft, but will now need significant time to recover and rehabilitate after surgery, which could impact his rookie draft.

"As you all know, I have been preparing for the 2019 NFL Draft," Simmons wrote. "Unfortunately, I tore the ACL in my left knee when I was going through position drills this past weekend while…