Projected first-round pick Simmons tears ACL

Projected first-round draft pick Jeffery Simmons confirmed Tuesday that he tore his left ACL in training and will undergo surgery next week. Simmons, a defensive lineman from Mississippi State, has been considered a potential top-15 draft pick, but a torn ACL likely would impact his draft slot.

In a statement on social media Tuesday, Simmons said the injury occurred last weekend as he did position drills while training in Boca Raton, Fla. He tried to reassure NFL teams. "I am going to come back stronger and more determined than ever," he posted on Twitter. "...No matter which team drafts me this April, I will work extremely hard to get healthy and become a leader in that organization."

The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Simmons played three seasons for the Bulldogs. In 38 games, he had 163 tackles -- 32.5 for loss -- as well as seven sacks and five forced fumbles. He was not invited to attend the NFL Scouting Combine, which begins later this month, because of a previous no-contest plea to an assault charge. A 2016 NFL rule bars prospects who have a history of violence from attending the event.

In 2016, a video showed Simmons hitting a woman. Mississippi State suspended him for one game. --Field Level Media