The Mississippi State football program played the waiting game Thursday night — 19 picks to be exact — as former Bulldogs Jeffery Simmons, Montez Sweat and Johnathan Abram were selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Simmons was the first MSU player off the board when he was taken 19th overall by the Tennessee Titans. Sweat was selected No. 26 by the Washington Redskins and Abram went No. 27 to the Oakland Raiders.
It was the first time in school history three MSU players were drafted in the first round.
“To me, more than anything, it’s a validation that a young man can come to Mississippi State and Starkville and achieve all of their dreams,” MSU head coach Joe Moorhead said.
Simmons’ selection came with some controversy. The hulking defensive lineman was involved in a domestic dispute before arriving at MSU and was suspended one game for his actions in 2016. He closed out his three years at MSU with 163 tackles, 32.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and seven pass breakups.
Simmons is recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to miss an extended period of time.
“Going into year 21 I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an interior defensive lineman sing-handedly take a game over like Jeffery Simmons did this year against unbelievable competition,” Moorhead said. “Kind of like Montez, a rare combination of size and strength and athleticism and does things physically that a guy that size shouldn’t be able to do.”
Moorhead recalled one play from this past season in which Simmons ran up field rushing the passer when the opposing quarterback flipped a quick screen pass.
He then planted, redirected and chased down the ball carrier 20 to 25 yards down the field.
“Very rarely do you see a 305-pound defensive lineman catch a 185-pound receiver halfway down the field,” Moorhead said. “To me that told you everything you need to know about his athletic ability.”
Sweat’s selection at No. 26 provided the surprise of the first round.
He was widely considered a top-10 prospect, but reports of a heart condition that have been speculatively declared a misdiagnosis surfaced in the days and hours leading up to Thursday’s NFL Draft.
On the field, he totaled 11.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss last season. His 22 career sacks the past two years ranked second among Power Five players.
At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Sweat wowed scouts at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis with a 4.41 40-yard dash — a modern-day record for a defensive lineman. His time was also faster than all but two running backs in attendance.
“He’s a guy that I think is very hard to block in space and I think with the NFL being a primarily passing league he can be a three-down guy who can not just rush the passer but on third down really make his money,” Moorhead said.
Abram rounded out the MSU contingent selected Thursday night.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. slotted him as the No. 1 safety in the class after earning All-America honors from four different media outlets. He was also a second team All-SEC performer in 2018.
Moorhead pointed to Abram’s intensity and focus on the practice field as what makes him NFL-ready.
“I have not had a guy that practices as hard as he plays like John Abram,” he said. “He has a true respect for the game of football in his approach. Loves to play.”
Like Sweat and Simmons, Abram brings a versatility that shows on his film.
“Can play the run like a linebacker, can cover the pass like a defensive back, can be on all four special teams,” Moorhead said. “And I think he’s a guy who really worked himself into the position to be a first-round pick.”
The NFL Draft will continue Friday with the second and third rounds beginning at 6 p.m. Rounds 4 through 7 are Saturday.
Ben Portnoy reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @bportnoy15.
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