Overlooked CFP Standout Looks To Stick Around In Seattle After Rookie Minicamp Tryout
When the Seahawks announced their updated roster for the start of this weekend's Rookie Minicamp, fans and reporters alike noticed one exciting name who'd been invited to tryout that the team hadn't announced yet.
Arizona State DB Shamari Simmons was the team's Defensive MVP in each of the last two seasons as he recorded 153 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 12 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries in 26 games per Pro Football Focus.
He underwhelmed at the Big 12 Pro Day, where his Speed, Agility and Quickness (40-yd dash, 3-cone and pro-agility) times all ranked in the bottom 10% of DBs, which makes for a hard sell when combined with his smaller frame at 5'11', 197 lbs. forcing teams to invest draft picks in more prototypical athletic profiles.
Fortunately, Simmons' has never won athleticism or obvious traits- he's had to grind to the top everywhere he's gone. He started his college career redshirting at Hutchinson CC before contributing as they went to the NJCAA-national championship the next year, then transferred to Austin Peay and became an All-Conference player at the FCS level in 2022. He transferred to ASU for 2023 and led Arizona State to shock the College Football world in 2024.
After being picked to finish last in the Big XII in preseason and going just 2-2 to begin conference play, the Sun Devils won the conference and earned their first College Football Playoff berth, narrowly losing to Texas in a double-overtime thriller. Simmons was suspended for the first half but made his biggest impact shortly after, forcing Longhorns RB Quintrevion Wisner to fumble before tackling QB Quinn Ewers for a safety in the 3rd Quarter to spark an ASU comeback.
Workhorse RB Cam Skattebo was the team's only player drafted as the New York Giants selected him in the 4th Round with the 105th Overall Pick. However, Simmons has the Mike Jackson-esque tenacity that has stuck around in Seattle's DB Room longer than expected before. He's elite in run support, showing viciousness on tape and an elite 91.7 RDEF grade on PFF.
His weakness is his spotty coverage skills. He has trouble anticipating and reacting in coverage while lacking the speed and length to recover. This limits him to a strict position playing close to the line of scrimmage as a nickel CB, but profiles well as a backup to speedster Devon Witherspoon while retaining his toughness or to hyper-athlete Nick Emmanwori to secure a level of stability without the high-end coverage upside. If he can make it through the non-padded rookie camp, he'll have a shot to show his best abilities once the pads come on in late July at training camp.
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