The Arizona Cardinals plan on first-round pick Isaiah Simmons being a key part of their defense in 2020. He doesn’t necessarily have a spot in the starting lineup but he will be asked to do a number of things.
It is what he did in college at Clemson, and it is for this reason, he is one of the best bets to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, according to Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar.
When asked at the scouting combine what position he plays, Clemson’s Simmons simply replied, “Defense.” Accurate, in that he lined up 116 times on the defensive line, 132 times at free safety, 262 times in the slot, and 299 times in the box last season — and he was a plus defender at every position. The Cardinals are now charged with allowing the eighth-overall pick to use that versatility at the NFL level. If that happens, Simmons could run away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Cardinals plan on having him only focus at one position — at inside linebacker — but still will use his versatility to line up and cover tight ends like George Kittle, to blitz, to rush off the edge and more.
As was discussed in the latest episode of our podcast, even in a part-time role playing 50-60 percent of the Cardinals’ defensive snaps, if he can fill the stat sheet with 60 tackles, five sacks and three picks, then he will get heavy consideration.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
Ep. 267
Ep. 266
