Isaiah Simmons looks like a tailor-made defender for today’s NFL, but if recent buzz pushes him down the draft order he’ll quickly become a steal.
As NFL defenses try to keep up with ever-evolving offenses, players that can be used all over the field carry a lot of value. The term “tweener” is often painted in a derogatory fashion, and while Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons fits the term he also does it some high-end justice.
At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Simmons is listed as a linebacker and he won the Butkus Award last year (given to the nation’s top linebacker). He also saw time at safety and as a slot corner in college, and allowed less than six yards per target in his coverage overall. He knocked it out of the park at the NFL Combine, with a 4.38-second 40, a 39-inch vertical and an 11-foot broad jump.
Simmons is widely regarded as a top-10 pick, with the Detroit Lions (No. 3), New York Giants (No. 4), Los Angeles Chargers (No. 6), Carolina Panthers (No. 7), Arizona Cardinals (No. 8) and Cleveland Browns (No. 10) all possible landing spots for him.
But according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, “most teams” view Simmons as a safety and a debate over his position could lead to him falling in Thursday night’s first round.
“I’ve talked to plenty of teams about him,” Rapoport said about Simmons. “Some think he’s an outside linebacker, some think he’s an inside linebacker, some think he’s a safety. I had one coach tell me they think he’s actually best rushing the passer off the edge…Safeties rarely go in the top-10, off-the-ball linebackers rarely go in the top-10….”
This might be a grand smokescreen, using Rapoport to put doubt in the equation as a team hopes Simmons falls to them in the first round. Finding ways to use him is a problem plenty teams would love to have. If a defensive coordinator is not somehow scared by his versatility, Simmons can make an instant impact.
Even amid all the trade movement that may happen, and any questions about his exact position fit at the next level, Simmons is not likely to drop out of the the top-10. Even in the latter part of the top-10, there’s potential for someone to get a legit draft steal.