2. LB Isaiah Simmons
There has been a large faction of NY Giants fans – I would render 50% – that are firmly in the ‘Isaiah Simmons or bust’ camp. While I’ve had my fun taking subtle shots on Twitter to rile some up about him being a ‘linebacker’, clearly this rare talent is more than just your typical linebacker.
While I truly believe most of his snaps will in fact come from the inside linebacker position at the NFL, he’ll spend a decent amount of time in the slot, at free safety, and even as a pass-rusher. Simmons is about as much of an athletic freak as one can be, running a lightning fast 4.39 40 at 6’3 237 pounds.
He’s got the tape to back up his reputation and was a bonafide playmaker for the best college football team in the country. Watching him drop back in coverage against wide receivers was a treat to watch, especially as a Giants fan that has watched our linebackers struggle to cover fullbacks in passing situations.
Oddly enough, outside of grabbing an elite pass rusher, the main thing I’ve wanted for this defense forever is a linebacker that can truly cover — much like the Dallas Cowboys have thrived with. If we had even one real offensive tackle prospect of the future (no disrespect to my guy Nick Gates, but he still has room to grow and it looks like he may be playing another position), this would be an easy pick.
I remain steadfast that this selection has to be about more than the 2020 season, and even though Simmons would help us the most on day one, inside-linebacker is one of the few solid position groups we currently have on this team. Hopefully, youngster Ryan Connelly will bounce back from a torn ACL and pair well with new free-agent signee Blake Martinez moving forward.
This defense is currently devoid of any true playmakers, and I won’t fault anyone for wanting to go with the star potential of Simmons after watching this defense play football the past few years. Racking up 108 tackles, 7 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 8 passes defended is almost unimaginable and a true testament to the type of difference-maker Simmons is.
If there is one thing to worry about when it comes to the rangy linebacker, it’s that he only had one truly elite year in college and he wasn’t a big-time recruit. Still, he appears to just be a late bloomer and it would be a shocker to not seem him pan out at the NFL level.
Unofruntlatley, due to the team neglecting the offensive line and swinging and missing when it did address it, we are just not in a position to select Simmons at this time.
Overall Grade: A-
Team need: 3/10
Positional value: 6/10 (extra 3 points awarded due to versatility)