AFC South Notes: Colts, Titans, Jeffery Simmons

Colts

The Colts though so highly of S Khari Willis they traded up in the fourth round to snag him, pegging him as one of the top three or four safeties in a deep class. Willis will back up Colts strong safety Clayton Geathers and earned a reputation as more of a box safety in college, but the Colts say they were “laughing” at that assessment. 

“Guys that call him a box safety I think are doing him a little bit of a disservice,” Colts area scout Chad Henry said via 1070 The Fan’s Kevin Bowen. “If you look at what he did for (Michigan State) he played all over the place. I think he’s probably most natural in the box, but the kid is so smart. He was really a utility player. He was the starting strong safety. The good thing about his evaluation, you got to see him do everything. You got to see him play back. You got to see play nickel, the slot and man cover tight ends. He’s exceptionally smart, and you can see it in his play. You can see him on film telling other guys what to do. The more you watch, the more you appreciate what he is.”

Titans

Entering his third season after being drafted in the third round in 2017, Titans WR Taywan Taylor knows this is his big year to prove himself at the NFL level.

“I have to keep getting better to be the best I can be,” Taylor said via Jim Wyatt of the official team website. “Coach [Mike] Vrabel and [WR coach] Rob Moore emphasize: There’s no point in being out here if you’re just going through the motions. Everybody’s days are numbered in the NFL, and we are all thankful to be out here. I don’t want to be complacent.”

Jeffery Simmons

• Titans first-round DT Jeffery Simmons posted a video to his Instagram showing him running as he continues to recover from a torn ACL in February while preparing for the draft.  
• Simmons will likely miss most if not all of the 2019 season.