Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons is forcing the conversation early, and it’s not hard to see why. At this point, the sophomore has made a real case as the best edge defender in college football, and his week three showing against Tennessee only sharpened that argument. For the Saints, who are already staring at a looming need on the edge, he looks like the kind of prospect worth tracking all the way to the 2027 NFL Draft.
Simmons turned that Tennessee game into his showcase. He piled up five sacks and 10 pressures against a ranked opponent and, in the process, helped Texas escape with a win. That performance pushed his season total to seven sacks, which is tied for the most nationally.
What makes Simmons so dangerous is the way his athletic profile shows up snap after snap. At six-foot-three and 245 pounds, the junior has the kind of burst, speed, and power that overwhelms offensive tackles.
He doesn’t just flash in one area, either. He can affect the game as a pass rusher and hold his own against the run, which gives him true three-down value.
As a pass rusher, Simmons can win in more than one way. Speed works.
Power works. Technique works.
His go-to move is speed-to-power, using his reported 34” arms to get into a blocker’s chest and drive him back toward the quarterback. He’s still adding to his bag, but he has already shown the willingness and the ability to deploy more moves as he develops.
He’s just as nasty against the run. Simmons uses his quickness to split blocks and get into the backfield, and he’s strong enough to set the edge against bigger linemen. When he gets to the ball carrier, he brings bad intentions and has the kind of force that can produce highlight-reel tackles.
There’s also the motor. Simmons keeps coming, keeps chasing, and keeps showing up around the football even when the play goes away from him. He plays through the whistle, which makes him a real factor in pursuit and gives him the chance to make game-saving plays with effort alone.
That profile should grab the Saints’ attention. They have Chase Young, but they don’t have a dynamic second edge presence to pair with him.
Cameron Jordan once filled that role, but he is 37 years old and could be entering his final season. Carl Granderson has shown flashes, but not enough consistency to lock down the job.
Unless New Orleans gets a breakout year from someone already on the roster or makes a major addition, edge rusher has to be on the radar in April.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Hate This Tyler Shough Ruling
The Saints had another rough Week 3 finish against the Raiders, and one sequence involving Tyler Shough has only added to the frustration. The NFL upheld the ruling on the field, saying Shough lost control of the ball before his arm started moving forward, leaving the play as a fumble and not an incomplete pass.
For Saints fans, the irritation is obvious because the league handled a similar-looking situation differently in Week 1 when Jared Goff was involved. NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth explained why the two plays were separated, but the explanation is unlikely to make New Orleans feel any better about how the call broke in a game already going the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Collapse Came Down To Tyler Shough And One Brutal Call
The Saints had their best early footing under Kellen Moore on Sunday, jumping ahead after the first quarter and giving themselves a chance to carry that edge into a needed win over the Raiders. Instead, the game unraveled late in a 35-27 loss, with New Orleans giving the ball away four times in the fourth quarter and watching a promising night slip into a frustrating collapse.
Tyler Shough was at the center of it, with multiple turnovers and a strip that led to one of the games most contentious moments, when Las Vegas came away with the fumble recovery. A late Juwan Johnson fumble only deepened the damage as the Raiders kept answering with offense, leaving the Saints to sort through how a game they once controlled turned so quickly in the final period. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over This Replay Ruling
The Saints already had plenty to argue about during their game against the Raiders, and the replay decision only deepened the frustration. Adrian Hills crew drew heat for a series of controversial calls against New Orleans, including multiple penalties on the defense, but the play that really stuck with fans was a quarterback drop that ended with the Raiders coming away with the ball.
NFL vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth upheld the ruling after review, saying the quarterback lost control before his arm came forward. The problem for New Orleans is that the explanation landed differently than another similar play earlier this season, when the league ruled it an incomplete pass, leaving the Saints and their fans to wonder why a key judgment can look so different from one week to the next. [Read more 🡒]