5 possible Panthers targets who could go undrafted in 2021
By Dean Jones
Antjuan Simmons – LB (Michigan State)
Whether Antjuan Simmons is going to be a productive starter in the NFL at any stage of his career is very much up for debate. But that should not detract from what a potentially valuable piece of the depth chart he could become providing there is some refinement to his skills.
Simmons is a little undersized for a linebacker and does have some significant trouble in pass coverage. His tackling also needs brushing up once he comes up against quicker and more elusive offensive weapons that will punish every error severely.
The former Michigan State star has enough in the way of agility to possibly make a contribution on special teams while trying to get other parts of his game figured out. It would be a big surprise if a team allocated one of their picks to secure his services despite accumulating 230 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks throughout his four-year stint in college.
This is not the pressing need it once was for the Carolina Panthers following the acquisition of Denzel Perryman in free agency. However, if they see enough in Simmons and think he might be able to improve further given time, then it represents a low-risk, high reward option with little in the way of pressure for the prospect to make an immediate contribution.