2006 Draft - Kevin Simon (LB) - extensive profile

[That Guy]

Kevin Simon, OLB, Tennessee
Selected: Round 7, Pick 42, Overall Pick 250 by Redskins
Name: Kevin Simon
College: Tennessee Number: 2
Height: 5-11 Weight: 235
Position: OLB Pos2: ILB
Class/Draft Year: Sr/2006
40 Time: 4.89
Projected Round: Stock:
Rated number 31 out of 147 OLB's 414 / 1738 TOTAL

Combine Results

Combine Invite: Yes
Height: 5100
Weight: 235
40 Yrd Dash: 4.89
20 Yrd Dash: 2.87
10 Yrd Dash: 1.72
Wonderlic:
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 26
Vertical Jump: 28
Broad Jump: 8'7"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.34
3-Cone Drill: 7.70

Pro Day Results

Dates: 03/15/06 03/29/06
Height: 5100
Weight: 235
40 Yrd Dash: 4.83
20 Yrd Dash:
10 Yrd Dash:
225 Lb. Bench Reps:
Vertical Jump:
Broad Jump:
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.16
3-Cone Drill: 7.03


Overview

The former outside linebacker enjoyed his first injury-free season in 2005 since coming to the Tennessee program. He seemed to have found a home in the middle, leading the team in tackles as a senior. Prior to his final season, two major knee surgeries and a broken ankle cost him twenty games of playing time during his first three years.

Simon was an All-American by Parade, USA Today, Prep Star and Super Prep as a senior at De La Salle High School. He was named Rivals.com Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-State and 2000 Bay Valley MVP. He added North Coast Player of the Year, Oakland Tribune Defensive Player of the Year, San Francisco Chronicle and Contra Costa Times Player of the Year honors.

The three-year starter at linebacker was also a featured running back as a high school senior. Simon recorded 141 tackles, forced four fumbles and had two interceptions, adding 1,283 yards and 16 touchdowns. He helped De La Salle to its fifth consecutive Division I state title with a 13-0 record in 2000, and the team had a 37-0 mark over his three seasons. Simon was selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but suffered a severe knee injury in the state all-star game and underwent surgery on Jan. 22nd, 2001. He also lettered in baseball.

Because of his January surgery, Simon was granted a medical hardship at Tennessee in 2001. He started three of four games in 2002, but missed the final nine contests with a right ankle fracture suffered in the Rutgers clash. He finished with 29 tackles (17 solos), two stops for losses and a fumble recovery.

He missed a portion of 2003 spring drills after undergoing left knee arthroscopic surgery in January. He went on to start thirteen games at strong-side linebacker, coming up with 115 tackles (79 solos), 4.5 sacks and six stops behind the line of scrimmage. He picked off a pass, deflected two others and caused a fumble.

Simon shifted to middle linebacker in 2004. He started the first two games, but in the first quarter of the Florida contest, Simon blew out his left knee, missing the rest of the season. He returned to the middle in 2005, earning second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors while leading the team with 88 tackles (40 solos), including a sack and 4.5 stops for losses. He caused a fumble, recovered another and batted away five passes.

In 50 games during his Tennessee career, Simon appeared in 30 contests, starting 29 times. He finished with 237 tackles (139 solos), 5.5 sacks for minus-40 yards, 13.5 stops for losses of 58 yards and sixteen quarterback pressures. He recovered two fumbles, caused two others, batted away eight passes and had one interception.



Analysis

Positives: Has adequate muscle tone with good chest thickness, broad shoulders, good bubble and knotted calves...Athletic mover who might lack ideal size, but shows very good range and closing burst...Shows the ability to key and diagnose plays quickly...Not a stacker, but can squeeze the tight end and will engage and work to shed...Gets a good jump on the ball, working through trash and showing the agility and range to get to the outside run...Takes adequate angles to reach the point of attack, but is best when allowed to pursue rather than taking on in attempts to stack and control...Hits with good pop on contact and is adequate to bring down the ballcarrier working in space...Rare to see him take false steps in his pedal and has the loose hips to turn and run with the tight ends and backs in the short passing game...Has a good feel for zone concepts, as he might play a bit shallow, but is aware and recognizes threats to his responsibilities...Gives good effort on the blitz and tries to use his hands to create movement...Has the flexibility and burst to chase around the corner.

Negatives: Has shorter-than-ideal size and a long history of medical issues...Does not have much more room on his frame for additional growth...Does not have the lower body strength to create a pile and needs to be protected in order to produce...Plays with a narrow base and struggles to shed when the bigger blockers get into his body...Hits with good pop, but prefers to avoid blocks rather than initiate contact, causing him to sometimes be late closing on the ball, especially in backside pursuit...Bit of a high maintenance type, bordering on arrogant, and while he performs well in the weight room and practices, he might not take to hard coaching...Will let blockers get into his legs when working to get to the outside.

Simon had his first injury-free collegiate season as a senior and showed the agility and instincts that had him regarded as one of the best prep linebackers in the country five years ago. He is a high motor type with the range to close quickly in outside run containment. He is alert to blocking schemes and can sift through trash to locate the ball.

Simon can squeeze the tight end vs. the inside running game, but is too undersized to stack and control vs. offensive linemen. He hits with good pop on contact, but prefers to avoid blockers rather than initiate contact. He gives good effort on the blitz, but lacks a feel for the pass rush and tends to gear down when his initial move fails and offensive linemen get underneath his pads.

He takes good angles to the point of attack, staying low in his pads to wrap, but gets his base too narrow working in-line, resulting in guards and centers washing him out of the play. He needs to be protected in order to produce and with his range, is more effective working in space rather than inside the box.

Simon has a good feel for zone concepts. He recognizes threats in his area and has the loose hips to quickly turn and run under the ball. He does not have the natural hands to catch the ball away from his body, but shows the timing and ball skills to deflect the pass. His hip flexibility lets him get good depth in his pass drops and he can anticipate routes, but sometimes gets caught guessing.

Durability issues are a concern considering he missed 20 of 50 games during his career with an ankle fracture and two major knee surgeries. He is a hard worker, but has a bit of arrogance to him. Can he take constructive criticism and respond to hard coaching, or is he the type who feels he is above that? The jury is out on Simon, but late in the draft he might be worth a look based on his athleticism.



Career Notes

Injuries forced him to miss 20 games during his career, but he averaged 9.1 tackles per game during his time at Tennessee...Of his 29 career starts, sixteen were at strong-side outside linebacker and sixteen in the middle.



2005 Season

Earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the league's coaches and the Associated Press...Started every game at middle linebacker, leading the team with 88 tackles (40 solos)...Registered a 6-yard sack, 4.5 stops for losses of 12 yards and seven quarterback pressures...Caused and recovered a fumble...Also deflected five passes.

2005 Game Analysis

2004 Season

Moved to middle linebacker, starting the team's first two games...Had five tackles (3 solos), including one for a 5-yard loss, a quarterback pressure and a pass deflection vs. Nevada-Las Vegas in the season opener...But during the first quarter of the next game vs. Florida, Simon suffered a torn left knee anterior cruciate ligament that required surgery, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.



2003 Season

All-Southeastern Conference second-team choice...Started all year at strong-side outside linebacker...Led the team with a career-high 115 tackles (79 solos), including 4.5 sacks for minus 34 yards and six stops for losses of 36 yards...Credited with eight quarterback pressures and a forced fumble...Had one interception and two pass deflections.

2003 Game Analysis

2002 Season

Started three of the team's first four games before suffering a right ankle fracture vs. Rutgers that required surgery, missing the final nine games...Finished with 29 tackles (17 solos), two stops for losses of 5 yards and a fumble recovery...Recovered a fumble in the end zone and collected eleven tackles with two stops behind the line of scrimmage vs. Middle Tennessee...Added nine tackles vs. Rutgers before getting injured.



2001 Season

Granted a medical hardship to continue recovering from surgery to repair a knee injury suffered in a high school all-star game.



Injury Report

2001: Underwent surgery in January to repair a knee injury suffered in the California state all-star game.

2002: Suffered a right ankle fracture vs. Rutgers (9/28) that required reconstructive surgery, causing him to miss the final nine games of the season.

2003: Limited in spring drills after undergoing left knee arthroscopic surgery.

2004: Tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the first quarter vs. Florida (9/18), missing the final ten regular season games and the Peach Bowl after undergoing reconstructive surgery (9/30).



Agility Tests

Campus: 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Combine: 4.93-second 40-yard dash. ... 28-inch vertical jump. ... 9'07" broad jump. ... Benched 225 pounds 26 times.



High School

Attended De La Salle (Walnut Creek, Cal.) High School, playing football for head coach Bob Ladouceur...All-American selection by Parade, USA Today, Prep Star and Super Prep as a senior...Named Rivals.com Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time All-State and 2000 Bay Valley MVP...Added North Coast Player of the Year, Oakland Tribune Defensive Player of the Year, San Francisco Chronicle and Contra Costa Times Player of the Year honors...The three-year starter at linebacker was also a featured running back as a senior...Recorded 141 tackles, forced four fumbles and had two interceptions, adding 1,283 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior...Helped De La Salle to its fifth consecutive Division I state title with a 13-0 record in 2000, and the team had a 37-0 mark over his three seasons...Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but suffered a severe knee injury in the state all-star game and underwent surgery on Jan. 22, 2001...Also lettered in baseball.



Personal

Psychology major...Born Kevin Charles Simon on 6/12/83...Resides in Walnut Creek, California.

Draft Scout Player News

12/02/05 - CANDIDATES FOR NEXT LEVEL: LB Kevin Simon missed almost the entire 2004 and 2002 seasons with injuries, but former teammate Kevin Burnett faced similar problems in college and went in the second round of the 2005 draft. Before his injury, scouts considered him to be a better prospect than Burnett, with a combination of good explosiveness and instincts.

11/18/05 - After missing practice all last week with a knee injury, LB Kevin Simon played anyway and led the team in tackles with 12. Simon is now fourth in the SEC with 9.2 tackles per game.

11/18/05 - "I'm not real sentimental. We've still got two more games left, and I still get to be around the guys for two more games and a bowl game if we take care of our business. It will be neat, a special time, because there are a lot of good senior leaders and players that are about to leave. It's going to be fun for our coaches and fun for the parents that will be there. I know my dad will be there. It will be fun for the fans. But all that doesn't matter if we don't win the game. I'm more focused on winning the game rather than it being my last home game in Neyland Stadium." -- Tennessee senior LB Kevin Simon.

11/10/05 - For more than 20 minutes on Saturday, Tennessee kept hope alive.From the middle of the second quarter to late in the third quarter, the Vols climbed from a 21-3 deficit to a 21-21 tie at Notre Dame and seemed to find the confidence and momentum they had lacked in losing their three previous games. Then the Vols reported to the mistakes that have dragged a disastrous season into the gutter, losing 41-21 to the seventh-ranked Fighting Irish. "It's been the same old story all season," Tennessee senior linebacker Kevin Simon said. "We make too many mistakes and can't make the plays when we need to." Simon remains competitive and Simon leads the Vols with 8.9 tackles per game.

10/27/05 - LB Kevin Simon led Tennessee's strong defensive effort against Alabama with 11 tackles and a sack and now ranks fourth in the SEC with 9.5 tackles per game.
At 3-3, 2-3 in the SEC, the Vols hardly recognize themselves these days. "Man, hearing that .500 and 3-3 ... It really hurts," linebacker Kevin Simon said. "It just doesn't sit right with you." It's not like the Vols have been blown out in losses to three ranked teams -- No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Alabama and No. 16 Georgia -- but it's not like the Vols to be out of the SEC East race at this point.


"I guess the question now is what are you going to do to change it, what are you going to do to make it better?" Simon said. "You can't do anything else but prepare just like you have for all these other games, prepare well for South Carolina and get a win. ... It's the only thing that's going to make us feel any better."

[EXoffender]

Can you say medical clearance?

[GTripp0012]

What stands out is the 4.9 40 time, but as interior LB depth, he was supposed to go much higher. I like how Gibbs always keeps special teams in mind in the late rounds.

[EXoffender]

It's always sad to hear of guys like this who are unmistakingly talented but stay hurt while giving it thier all.

[That Guy]

his speed is a definite concern.

[JWsleep]

Not sure about that speed #--maybe he ran while still recovering from his knee?

If he can stay healthy, he's a nice late pickup, but obviously his injury history is a red flag. Well, no doubt he'll be motivated when he's healthy!

[GTripp0012]

Interior guys traditonally don't rely on speed as much, which explains how Levon Kirkland hung around so long.

[memphisskin]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

Not sure about that speed #--maybe he ran while still recovering from his knee?

If he can stay healthy, he's a nice late pickup, but obviously his injury history is a red flag. Well, no doubt he'll be motivated when he's healthy!

It could be his knee that slowed him down, but he's definitely a high energy guy. SHould be a great speacial teamer, and eventually he could play an impact. How many linebackers did we carry on the team last year?

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Didn't A. Pierce run a 4.9 40? I'm more concerned about game-speed and instincts than a fast 40 on a hard surface.

[724Skinsfan]

I have a little concern on the "bordering on arrogance" and "might not take to hard coaching" comments. Let'shope he gets his mind right and embraces special teams with a lot of hard work.

[That Guy]

he was a 7th rounder, i've not even sure this guy makes the team.