NFL Draft profile and projection for lineback Cody Simon
NFL Draft profile and projection for lineback Cody Simon
Ohio State Buckeye fans already knew Cody Simon well before his impressive performances in the College Football Playoff. Simon played five years at Ohio State (one COVID-shortened season) and really seemed like the glue in the defense for much of his career. He peaked at absolutely the right time, as his senior season was certainly by far his best. He also played his best games of the season at the very end, earning Defensive MVP honors in both the Rose Bowl against Oregon and the National Championship Game against Notre Dame.
Cody Simon, Linebacker
Draft Projection: Round 4-7
Pro Day Results (As Reported by The Columbus Dispatch)
Bench press: 21 reps
Vertical jump: 33.5'
40-yard dash: 4.59 seconds
3-cone: 7.19 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.3 seconds
The Buckeyes, as a whole, played the best football of their lives in last year's Playoff. But no individual, except perhaps Will Howard, improved their draft stock with that CFP run as much as Cody Simon did. Simon can certainly be described as a "late bloomer," but the way he bloomed in the Playoff was nothing short of astounding. He was everywhere on the field, making plays against players supposedly faster and more athletic than him. Simon followed that up with pretty impressive numbers at Ohio State's Pro Day, hopefully further alleviating any concerns NFL teams have about his top-end potential.
Simon was trending towards a late-round draft pick until the CFP. And while NFL teams rarely rethink their philosophy about a player completely due to just a few games, this might be one of those exceptions. Everyone can see what Simon did against the best talents in college football. If he gets taken higher than expected, it's because of those performances. If he could do that on the biggest stage in college football, why wouldn't he be able to do it again in the NFL?
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