Isaiah Simmons is one of my favorite players available for the draft
I am excited to see him play tonight
I think that he can be a transformative player
He can play multiple positions and play them well
Simmons is unique in that he is great in coverage, he is strong against the run, and he can rush the passer
He is so long and fast that he can cover backs, receivers, and tight ends
His position flexibility seems perfect for what the new coaching staff values
I can see him play the joker in a 46 or safety or olb
in a 34
What makes Simmons so unique is that he is 6’-4” 235 bs but runs a 4:4 forty and he also has an incredible wingspan
I am rooting for LSU but would love to see Simmons excel
Tremaine Edmunds was 250, but he looked absolutely lost taking on blockers, he also false stepped a lot, constantly overran the play and would end up on the other side of the field from where the ball was. He had warts, the Bills took a chance, it paid off. I would love for Gettleman to take a chance here.
As I said, I like Simmons, but not at #4. Bills took Edmunds with the 16th pick, I'd love for the Giants to trade down, get additional picks and take Simmons. I just don't see the value at 4.
Queen hasn't declared yet, as far as I know.
I hear ya, but I wouldn’t mind coaching Simmons into that. You really can’t fault the guy for playing his position. It’s not like he was playing LB and got caught up in the wash every down. Swinney asked him to do a ton of different things and none of them included playing inside linebacker.
Edwards-Helaire squats 700 lbs, trucked a number of Clemson defenders as well as took some ankles, but when it came to 1 on 1 vs Simmons, that’s where the buck stopped, same thing against J.K. Dobbins. He showed plenty physicality, it just came in space, which is understandably hard to project.
In college, he was in the 230 range, 40 inch Vert, some say he was sub 4.4, people thought he could only play will, said he lacked sand in his pants, he became a top 3 MLB in the NFL. He got better at playing blocks, him, Kuechly, and Wagner became the standard for what a 3 down mlb looks like.
Simmons is not only just as athletic but destroys Shazier in terms of wingspan.
And he'll likely be a difference maker there.
And he'll likely be a difference maker there.
How similar is he to Deion Jones in Atlanta?
Jones is the type of player that is really impactful in the modern NFL.
Can stick with dynamic backs/TEs, blitz, do a little bit of everything.
I see why fans like the speed and range and AA. But it tends to miss the mark on what you need in a front seven player and #4 overall pick investment. He's probably going to be part Leonard Floyd part FS. Not interested at #4. Note, I didn't love Floyd either.
I will note Carl Banks has a Man crush on him and that's interesting.
John, how could you say?
I see why fans like the speed and range and AA. But it tends to miss the mark on what you need in a front seven player and #4 overall pick investment. He's probably going to be part Leonard Floyd part FS. Not interested at #4. Note, I didn't love Floyd either.
I agree with everything JonC is saying. I don't want to spend the #4 pick on a hybrid LB/SS who shies away from contact and who we don't even know what his role is going to be or what he's going to be able to do in the NFL. You can say "well he's a hybrid he can do so many things"... yeah or he won't be able to do anything. He might be too slow to cover NFL speed and not strong enough to take on NFL OL.
Chase Young and Jeffrey Okudah are the only players I like as top 5 prospects and unfortunately I'm pretty sure they're both going to be gone by #4. The only good thing about that is that would mean all QBs aside from Burrow will still be on the board and we would be in prime position to trade down.
I like Thomas and Jeudy as well but DL is the last of our needs at the moment and I don't want a WR with the #4 pick. Best case scenario is we trade down and get a haul and thereby get more of the red chip players JonC is saying there are in this draft instead of forcing a pick and convincing ourselves a guy is blue chip prospect when he simply isn't.
It's so funny to think about how much a loss to the Redskins in week 15 would have simplified everything. The choice would have been much more obvious and clear-cut and it would have reduced the number of threads re: the draft by like 90%.
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Simmons isn't remotely in Shazier's class even as a collegian.
I see why fans like the speed and range and AA. But it tends to miss the mark on what you need in a front seven player and #4 overall pick investment. He's probably going to be part Leonard Floyd part FS. Not interested at #4. Note, I didn't love Floyd either.
I agree with everything JonC is saying. I don't want to spend the #4 pick on a hybrid LB/SS who shies away from contact and who we don't even know what his role is going to be or what he's going to be able to do in the NFL. You can say "well he's a hybrid he can do so many things"... yeah or he won't be able to do anything. He might be too slow to cover NFL speed and not strong enough to take on NFL OL.
Chase Young and Jeffrey Okudah are the only players I like as top 5 prospects and unfortunately I'm pretty sure they're both going to be gone by #4. The only good thing about that is that would mean all QBs aside from Burrow will still be on the board and we would be in prime position to trade down.
I like Thomas and Jeudy as well but DL is the last of our needs at the moment and I don't want a WR with the #4 pick. Best case scenario is we trade down and get a haul and thereby get more of the red chip players JonC is saying there are in this draft instead of forcing a pick and convincing ourselves a guy is blue chip prospect when he simply isn't.
It's so funny to think about how much a loss to the Redskins in week 15 would have simplified everything. The choice would have been much more obvious and clear-cut and it would have reduced the number of threads re: the draft by like 90%.
this debate on simmons's position is going to last for the next four months and i find it extremely tiring. if you don't clearly see how he's going to be used you harp on how his particular inability to fill traditional roles at linebacker and cornerback (nickel) positions are going to say those issues are fatal.
great.
that's how you feel.
you will ignore his strengths and what makes him unique. or you'll say what makes him unique either won't work in the nfl (despite no meaningful comps, and no, urlacher and floyd are not comps people are making, they're foils you use), or that he really isn't good in the first place.
you'll say hybrid players are inherently risky and players who fit traditional roles are more successful.
or maybe you'll say those things aren't necessarily true but that therefore he's not worth it at #4.
fine.
the team will grade him and pick or not pick him accordingly.
debating this further will be circular and without further information, unfruitful.
i'm no simmons activist it just seems everyone arguing against him are missing the mark on the premise on which they evaluate him. they'll say abstract things like, "no, players list him are later first round picks". but what if there aren't that many players better than that? seems that doesn't matter.
if he's that good and grades that high he should be drafted that high.
we'll see what the giant's think in april.
I will note Carl Banks has a Man crush on him and that's interesting.
He's got the highest ceiling in the draft. There is definitely risk taking him at #4, but the upside could be huge. You can't teach that speed or the length. Clemson asks him to do everything on that defense. I really like the track background, too.
Last night, they were basically in a 3-1-7 the entire night with Simmons patrolling the middle. But LSU just had too many answers outside the hashes. Simmons still had a nice night - 7 tackles, 2 passes defended, 2 tackles for losses, and sack.
Posters who haven't really seen him play over the entire season look at one game in a bubble and judge exclusively off that. I see a bigger version of Minkah Fitzpatrick and that rover role he played at Bama...
I expect he'll light up the Combine, come in bigger (because he can now add more weight with the season over), and
The list of 1st team All Americans who didn't amount to a hill of beans in the NFL can pave I-80 from the GW to the Golden Gate bridges...
Well make that the Oakkand SF Bay Bridge.
Can be a good NFL player but wouldn't take him at #4.
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A unanimous 1st team all-American is not in Shazier’s class as a collegian? I guess we just have to agree to disagree.
The list of 1st team All Americans who didn't amount to a hill of beans in the NFL can pave I-80 from the GW to the Golden Gate bridges...
Well make that the Oakkand SF Bay Bridge.
Keyword: Unanimous. Show me that list.
Two entirely different players. Shazier was a pure inside LB who projected to LB in the NFL. Simmons is going to be a hybrid peg. The kid in Buffalo is a different player as well, he's got enough size and pop to his physical game Simmons doesn't display.
I'm done with the Simmons debate. Those skinny legs and his avoiding contact infuriate me. Giants could draft him and I still could be right in the end, a waste of #4 overall. Or I could be wrong, time will tell.