Pro Football Focus did their linebacker superlatives for the 2023 class and Trenton Simpson notched a couple honors:
BEST SIDELINE-TO-SIDELINE RANGE: TRENTON SIMPSON, CLEMSON
This is why Simpson is getting the hype despite only earning a 68.7 overall grade last season. Evaluators don’t care too much about who Simpson is right now, but rather they care more about what he can be in time with his easy movement skills. His 4.43-second 40-yard dash for a 235-pounder is nothing short of elite.
FREAKIEST ATHLETE: TRENTON SIMPSON, CLEMSON
Simpson has the kind of testing numbers that you’d be happy with in a cornerback, let alone a linebacker. His 4.43-second 40-yard dash, 40.5-inch vertical, 25 bench press reps at 225 pounds, 32 ⅜-inch arms and 10 ¼-inch hands are all create-a-player-type numbers for a linebacker. The only worry is that he’s still more athlete than off-ball linebacker at the moment.
Mike Renner assigns superlatives to the top linebackers in the 2023 NFL Draft, with Clemson's Trenton Simpson taking home the "best sideline to sideline range."