Las Vegas Raiders 2020 Rookie Roles: Offensive Guard John Simpson
College Career
Simpson is an offensive guard who spent his four years in college playing for the Clemson Tigers. He was a part of two College Football Playoff National Championship teams, one coming in 2016 where he played as a true freshman, and another during his senior year in 2019. During the 2016 season, he only played in nine games due to foot injury that kept him out for multiple weeks, and appeared in 12 games his sophomore season as one of the key backup role players on the Tigers offensive line.
His junior year he got the starting job at left guard and played in all 15 games for Clemson. At 6’4, 330 lbs. Simpson was an absolute beast in the middle of the offensive. He was in part responsible for the emergence of running back Travis Etienne, who amassed 1,600+ yards on 200+ carries in both 2018 and 2019.
Etienne also totaled 24 touchdowns and 19 touchdowns respectively in those two years.
Simpson is by far the best offensive line prospect Dabo Swinney has ever produced at his time in Clemson. In fact, not only is Simpson the first offensive lineman drafted out of Clemson since 2014, there has only been one lineman drafted higher then him since 1971, who was taken in the 3rd round.
An All-American, Simpson was also the captain of the Clemson Tigers last season, and has incredible talent, and leadership capabilities.