Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

Titans' Jeffery Simmons in Elite Company With Defensive Play

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Mar 21, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans' offseason has thus far been built on "new hires." Robert Saleh's first swing of the bat off the field has yielded free agent signings into the double-digits, a handful of trades, and a bevy of draft rumors, naturally, mixed in.

Although some of Tennessee's mainstays are just as important to what the team is trying to build as their recent acquisitions. In spite of their worse than subpar, back-to-back 3-14 overall finishes, the Titans are only able to rebound to their current degree due to critical positions that were safely filled coming into this eventful offseason.

Cam Ward under center is the obvious mention, but on the other side of the ball, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has long been a cornerstone of Tennessee's score-stopping prowess. The league-leading veteran (and consistent Man of the Year candidate) is a burned-in part of the Titans' identity, and a recent metric gives a telling idea as to why.

Part of the Titans Identity

Per a post on X (Twitter) from PFSN, Simmons is only one of two players at his position with top-10 grades in each of the last five seasons. Simmons, with a 90.5 average, is joined only by Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones, who comes in slightly below the former at 89.5.

The Titans aren't winning Super Bowls like Kansas City, but if they're going to get there in the remotely relevant future, having a piece such as Simmons firmly in place is a rare and special achievement. If Saleh is going to be successful, he'll have to build around Simmons on defense just as he is around Ward on offense.

The only NFL defensive tackles with top-10 PFSN DT Impact grades in each of the last 5 seasons:

Jeffery Simmons, TEN - 90.5 avg.
Chris Jones, KC - 89.5 avg. pic.twitter.com/x8YLO6AFgb
— PFSN (@PFSN365) March 19, 2026

And, thankfully for weary Titans fans, his string of aforementioned moves has already begun the process of doing so.

Building Around Simmons

See the snare of defensive end John Franklin-Myers, for example, supplying Simmons a running mate to help balloon the number of sacks that Tennessee's growingly disruptive line is able to produce. Or, similarly, the Titans' trio of just-signed cornerbacks (Cordale Flott, Alontae Taylor, Joshua Williams), who have already met and are working to be the best unit in the NFL - Flott's words.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Titans have finally recruited Simmons some help, and, if his recent metrics are any indication, he shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

So long as he remains a focus of Saleh's defense, and the Titans do their due diligence on the offensive end, too, the 2026-27 Titans are shaping up to be the franchise's most compelling product in a number of years.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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