Pro Football Focus recently handed out superlatives to linebacker prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, and Clemson’s Trenton Simpson earned a pair of honors.
“The Clemson LB’s athleticism and range set him apart from the rest of the linebacker class in this year’s draft,” PFF’s Michael Renner wrote.
Simpson was named as the linebacker in the 2023 draft class with the “best sideline-to-sideline range.”
“This is why Simpson is getting the hype despite only earning a 68.7 overall grade last season,” Renner wrote. “Evaluators don’t care too much about who Simpson is right now, but rather they care more about what he can be in time with his easy movement skills. His 4.43-second 40-yard dash for a 235-pounder is nothing short of elite.”
Simpson was also tabbed as the “freakiest athlete” among linebackers in his draft class.
“Simpson has the kind of testing numbers that you’d be happy with in a cornerback, let alone a linebacker,” Renner wrote. “His 4.43-second 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical, 25 bench press reps at 225 pounds, 32 ⅜-inch arms and 10 ¼-inch hands are all create-a-player-type numbers for a linebacker. The only worry is that he’s still more athlete than off-ball linebacker at the moment.”
A 2022 Butkus Award semifinalist and third-team All-ACC selection, Simpson tied for third on the team with 77 tackles (4.0 for loss) as credited by the coaching staff and had 2.5 sacks to go with three pass breakups and two forced fumbles across 12 games. In his Clemson career (2020-22), he racked up 187 tackles (22.5 for loss), 12.5 sacks, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles over 37 games.
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound Simpson put on a show during Clemson’s Pro Day earlier this month, flashing his athleticism during on-field workouts and testing very well while posting the best times among the participants in the three-cone drill (4.24 seconds) and the L-drill (7.06).
While Simpson didn’t run the 40-yard dash at Pro Day (he understandably stood on the blazing 4.43 he ran at the NFL Scouting Combine), Simpson was convinced by a scout to take part in the vertical jump and ended up jumping 40.5 inches — what he said was the best vertical jump he’s ever recorded — one that would have topped all the jumps done by the linebackers at the combine.
Simpson is widely projected as a first-round or early second-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, from April 27-29.
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