Trenton Simpson watched his dream become reality late last week.

Yet the former Clemson standout would be lying if he said he wasn’t feeling slighted as he embarks on his professional football career.

Simpson is one of the newest members of the Baltimore Ravens after being taken by the team in the third round of the NFL Draft, but he said he felt like he was the most versatile linebacker in this year’s draft class. Others agreed with that sentiment.

Simpson was widely projected to be off the board early on the second day of the draft, which was comprised of the second and third rounds. Some draftniks even believed there was an outside chance the 6-foot-2, 234-pounder could join former teammates Myles Murphy and Bryan Bresee in the latter stages of the first.

Instead, Simpson waited as the first 85 picks came and went without his name being called. Among those taken ahead of him were four players at his position. One of them was Washington State’s Daiyan Henley, who went to the Denver Broncos midway through the third round.

The Ravens were up next on the clock, and they weren’t going to let Simpson slide any further.

“I was definitely on the board way longer than I expected, but it’s always God’s timing,” Simpson told local media in Baltimore. “And I believe in God with all my heart. This is the place he wanted me at and the pick he wanted me to go at. I’m just blessed, man.”

Asked what he thought was the biggest misconception about his game leading up the draft, Simpson’s voice rose slightly. An all-ACC selection last season, Simpson bounced around on Clemson’s defense, starting his three seasons with the Tigers at the Sam ‘backer position before moving inside to the Will spot last fall. Clemson also used Simpson’s speed and athleticism off the edge frequently as a blitzer as he finished his college career with 164 tackles and 12.5 sacks.

It led to some teams questioning exactly where Simpson fits best from a schematic standpoint, which Simpson takes issue with. Simpson said he feels like he’s at his best when he’s playing “in the box,” but he feels like he’s shown he’s capable of performing at a high level at various positions.

“I can fit in any scheme,” Simpson said. “I’m the most versatile linebacker in this draft, and I’m forever going to believe that.”

Now his objective is to repay the Ravens’ trust in him, which led to Simpson making a bold declaration about his future with an organization synonymous with elite linebacker play. Among the greats that have donned the purple and black at the position are Peter Boulware, franchise sack leader Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis, who spent all 17 seasons of his Hall of Fame career with the team before retiring in 2012.

“We’re going to see,” Simpson said. “In this career of Trenton Simpson, y’all aren’t going to regret this pick. I’m going to maximize every opportunity, and Trenton Simpson is going to go down as one of the greats for the Baltimore Ravens. Believe that.”

Simpson is joining a linebacking corps that is still plenty talented in Baltimore. It includes former first-round pick Roquan Smith, who also plays inside. But Simpson reiterated his belief that he’s capable of performing at a high level wherever he lines up.

“Whatever the Ravens need me to do any given week, I’m available with my flexibility,” he said. “Just a playmaker. That’s what I pride myself on.”

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