Isaiah

Simmons

Simmons signed with the Packers in April after the Giants let him walk in free agency but was unable to crack the final 53 in Green Bay. His unique athletic profile allows him to play multiple positions in the middle of the field, something that could help him catch on with another team via waivers.

The former first-round hybrid linebacker and safety has yet to live up to his No. 8 overall selection in the 2020 draft, but brings the unique ability to fill multiple positions over the middle of the field to a Packers defense that prefers to play a more inside-out style. There is upside in his athletic profile and versatility -- perhaps another change of scenery will serve to unlock some of that potential.

Simmons was selected No. 8 overall by the Cardinals and spent the last two seasons with the Giants. A linebacker/safety hybrid, Simmons has appeared in 34 games since 2023, making just five starts. He’s totaled 71 tackles, two TFLs, one interception, and five pass breakups over that span but played on a career-low 181 defensive snaps last season. Simmons will be 27 at the start of next season but has struggled to live up to the potential that made him a top draft pick six years ago. Wherever he lands next, it will likely be on a one-year prove-it deal as a role player.

According to the team page, the Giants and Simmons have agreed to terms on a return pending a physical. Simmons was acquired via trade from the Cardinals last offseason, and tallied 50 tackles, one sack, and one interception in 17 games. The versatile defender hasn’t lived up to the talent that made him a first-round pick in 2020, but he clearly showed enough for the Giants to want to run things back with him for one more season.

Simmons entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2020 draft and was regarded somewhat as a positionless player. A hybrid defender during his time at Clemson, Simmons’ elite size and athleticism saw him used all over the field, primarily as a linebacker, slot corner, and safety. Unfortunately, he’s struggled to adapt to the NFL. He switched from linebacker to safety earlier this summer, and his hid fifth-year option declined back in May. Now in the final year of his rookie deal, he’ll look to make an impact with the Giants under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale before entering free agency next offseason.

Simmons was exclusively a linebacker early in his career, but played 423 snaps at cornerback and safety last season. The Cardinals declined his fifth-year option despite Simmons having arguably his most successful year to date in 2022. He has not consistently been a good run defender, but Simmons offers a lot of versatility and this is likely a good move for him.

The former eighth overall pick now enters a contract year in a new system under first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon in Arizona. Simmons played all around the formation while at Clemson but has been grossly mishandled as a member of the Cardinals. His elite athleticism has led to plus grades in coverage and when in on the pass rush, with the biggest hole in his game coming against the run. Naturally, that athletic profile led former Cardinals coaches to try and fit him into the mold of an inside linebacker, which has decidedly stunted his growth as a professional. Most notably, Simmons missed 12 tackles a season ago. It will be up to Gannon to unlock his full potential in 2023.

Starting safety Budda Baker won’t play this week after undergoing surgery to repair a ligament in his thumb. Jalen Thompson, the team’s other safety, was placed on IR last month with an ankle injury. And backup Chris Banjo has been hobbled by a hamstring injury that could keep him out of this week’s game against the Panthers. The Cardinals are considering deploying first-round draft pick LB Isaiah Simmons at safety, according to the team’s website. Simmons this season has been targeted four times, resulting in four receptions, 94 yards, and two touchdowns. Teddy Bridgewater and the Carolina receivers could be in for a nice day against this Arizona secondary.

Simmons is a freak athlete, but this will be somewhat of a transition, particularly so in the pandemic-shortened offseason. At Clemson, Simmons was used as a chess piece and had plenty of reps at safety where he was a stud in pass coverage. The question now is if he will be able to handle run fits at linebacker in year one? Even if there is a learning curve, Simmons’ 4.39 speed and 39-inch vertical will save him. He’s the most fascinating defensive rookie to watch in 2020. Simmons is +550 to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, the second-highest odds only trailing Football Team’s Chase Young (+250).

He’ll receive a $12.58 million bonus upon putting pen to paper. Simmons (6’4/238) was a two-year starting hybrid specialist at Clemson who earned the 2019 Dick Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. A three-star out of high school, Simmons added lean muscle mass to his track frame to become a 99th-percentile athlete with 4.39 speed and a 39-inch vertical. He played snaps at linebacker, safety, and nickel corner in college and demonstrated a high-end ability to cover in space. Per PFF, he only allowed 5.6 yards per target in coverage while intercepting three passes. In the NFL, Simmons will be deployed as an elite coverage defender against tight ends and pass-catching backs with the athletic ability to work downhill against the run. He compares stylistically to a bigger but less agile version of Derwin James as a versatile safety/linebacker hybrid. His development will be one to monitor as DC Vance Joseph and coach Kliff Kingsbury have both reaffirmed that Simmons will primarily play linebacker at the next level.