Training Camp Profile: DL Deon Simon

Defensive tackle Deon Simon is slowly but surely working his way up the depth chart for the New York Jets. Here’s his complete profile heading into training camp.

When the New York Jets let Damon Harrison walk, Deon Simon was looked to as someone who could slide into the position in the coming years. Like Harrison, Simon was an overlooked draft prospect, who has worked hard to get into the position he is in. He is a quintessential underdog looking for his day, which could come in 2017.

The Jets struggled in a lot of areas in 2016, which makes the struggles on the line not surprising. The Jets have a quality defensive line unit, however, when things just aren’t going the right way for a team, all areas suffer. According to Pro Football Focus, the Jets’ defensive line ranked 27th in the league.

One of the bright spots on the defensive line was Leonard Williams. The Jets will be looking for young talent to take the reigns of this unit, and one player who could become a stalwart is Simon. Here’s a look at his profile heading into training camp.

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2016 SEASON REVIEW

Deon saw action in every game in 2016, however, he started in just one. He registered 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks, as he was the fourth linemen in a 3-4 defense.

2017 SEASON OUTLOOK

Deon has high hopes for this season – as he should – and given the youth movement the Jets are undergoing, he could be one of the main pieces of a team that will be looking to accomplish at least one of these two goals: set the standard for the future of the Jets’ culture, or be a team that shocks everyone and uses their youth to catch opponents off guard. The development of guys like Simon will play a key role in deciding if those goals are accomplished.

TRAINING CAMP PREDICTION

Let’s just say we’ve seen this movie before: starter over 30 gets jettisoned for a young guy who’s hungry and could make a real impact. While incumbent Steve McLendon may not get shown the door, he could be in a race for a starting defensive line job with guys like Simon.