5. Jeffery Simmons, DL
Look, the young guys are great and there are a lot of players who could have earned the last spot on this list, but there is only one Big Jeff.
Simmons looks like he is in fantastic shape and he has been incredibly disruptive already. Whether that means outrunning athletic guards like Aaron Brewer and Nate Davis, causing Daniel Munyer waking nightmares that force him to mess up snaps or swatting down a pass from Tannehill that would have been a touchdown to Treylon Burks, he is exactly who we thought he was.
Mike Vrabel has mentioned Simmons as a leader multiple times and it is clear that he is the voice of the next “generation” of Titans defenders.
Tennessee’s defense is in a great spot with guys like Kevin Byard, Zach Cunningham, Denico Autry, Bud Dupree, Harold Landry, and Jeffery Simmons all mentoring guys like Amani Hooker, David Long Jr., Rashad Weaver, and Naquan Jones.
I have said over and over that this group could be special, and if it is special it will be because guys like Simmons lead with their play and their effort speaking louder than words ever could. It is hard to imagine a situation where the Titans let Simmons walk and news on a new deal could come out quickly, but that isn’t something that Simmons is focusing on or pushing.
Instead, he showed up to camp in tremendous shape with two years left on his deal, and he is focused on doing his job and being an elite player at his position instead of being a good player looking to cash in on a half-finished job.