The Arizona Cardinals selected Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft on Thursday evening.
Simmons (6-4, 238 pounds) is an amazing athlete who ran a 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds and posted a vertical jump of 39 inches at the combine earlier this offseason. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Simmons to Darius Leonard, who was a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
“He’ll miss run fits and can be misdirected due to a lack of instincts near the line, but his playmaking range outweighs those concerns for now,” Zierlein wrote of Simmons on NFL.com before the draft.
Simmons is an excellent coverage linebacker and he’s versatile enough to play safety or even cornerback if needed. During his final three years with the Tigers, Simmons totaled 237 tackles, 11 sacks, four interceptions, 20 pass breakups, one fumble recovery and six forced fumbles.
Simmons was the third-best player in this year’s class, according to Luke Easterling’s big board for Draft Wire. Ohio State edge defender Chase Young and LSU quarterback Joe Burrow were the only players Draft Wire had ranked higher than Simmons.
