ES #92

Elijah Simmons

Defensive Tackle · Tennessee

A six-year Tennessee nose tackle who took the long undrafted road through Arizona's practice squad before landing a roster spot in Tampa Bay.

Elijah Simmons spent six seasons in Knoxville, developing into a run-stuffing interior lineman before going undrafted in 2025. After a short stint with the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad, the Buccaneers claimed him and gave him a shot at meaningful defensive line snaps.

★ Six-season letterman at Tennessee (2019-2024)

★ Signed to Buccaneers active roster off Cardinals practice squad (2025)

Path to the league

A former state champion in the shot put and discus out of Nashville, Simmons signed with Tennessee as a three-star recruit and played six seasons for the Volunteers from 2019 to 2024. He went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft and signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent.

Career highlights

Simmons' production at Tennessee was modest but steady across his six years, topping out around 19 tackles in a season, with his value coming primarily as a space-eating run defender in the trenches rather than as a stat accumulator.

2025 season recap

After being waived by Arizona in final roster cuts, Simmons returned to the Cardinals' practice squad before the Buccaneers signed him to their active roster on September 17, 2025. He wears number 92 in Tampa Bay and recorded 4 tackles through Week 11 as he worked into the nose tackle rotation.