Colin Simmons Film Session: Best EDGE Prospect Since Aidan Hutchinson
Simmons has dominated college football since arriving at Texas, and 2026 offers him an opportunity to solidify himself as a top-three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Summer scouting often offers surprises: from underhyped guys to folks upheld in the national conversation by recruiting pedigree, there are endless examples. Colin Simmons is exactly who many believe he is, though. With 19 sacks and an 18.4% pass rush win rate through his first two seasons, he’s been dominant since arriving on the college football scene. He ranks fifth among returning players in PFF’s pass rush productivity rating, 11th in tackles for loss, and he’s a consensus top-five player in the 2027 NFL Draft among early mock drafts. When you flip on the film, it’s easy to see why he’s largely considered to be one of the cleanest edge prospects in the last decade.
First Step
The first thing that pops on Simmons’ film is his elite first step. As a former five-star recruit, the elite athleticism isn’t necessarily shocking, but his basketball background regularly appears (more on this later). His get-off is reminiscent of the NFL’s best edge rushers, and when he combines the rest of his skill set with the ready-made advantage he creates with his quick jumps, he’s lethal as a pass rusher.
Here, he nearly beats the running back to his spot and has an easy shed opportunity because of how quickly he’s able to get upfield. Many of Simmons’s snaps come from wide alignments, utilizing his elite speed to get around the outside shoulder of the tackle. Here, he lines up as a true 5-technique and utilizes that same explosiveness to capitalize and make a tone-setting play. This actually started him on a heater, too. We’ll revisit that in a bit.
Simmons combines a few of the traits we’ll discuss here on this one, but he wins this one immediately with an explosive burst off the line of scrimmage. He then displays excellent turn while utilizing elite strength to fend off the left tackle’s attempt at a recovery. This was a game-wrecking rep at a time when Texas needed some momentum.
We’ll discuss Simmons’ elite ball production later, but he’s just too explosive off the line of scrimmage for college tackles to handle. Choosing not to chip and release on this play is a mistake by the Arkansas playcaller, but Simmons creates such an advantage that he likely could have won this rep anyway. His burst off the line of scrimmage makes him an immediate-impact NFL Draft prospect, but that just scratches the surface of his talents.
