The NFL Draft will take a different route in 2020. Due to the coronavirus, it will be held in more of a remote venue.
The New York Giants own the fourth overall pick, and a lot of mock drafts are projecting New York to select linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons from the University of Clemson.
Simmons can play anywhere on the field and he is very athletic. One of the things he possesses for this football team is that he can cover tight ends very well.
The Giants have had issues covering tight ends in the past, but maybe things would change with him on the defensive side of the ball. First-year head coach, Joe Judge, wants players like Simmons because of his ability to cover, as well as his ability to play on special teams.
Judge was a special teams coordinator with the New England Patriots before accepting the head coaching job with the New York Giants.
Isaiah Simmons will most likely be the best player on the board at that point.
Joe Burrow, Chase Young, and Jeffrey Okudah are the consensus top three players off the board, while Tua Tagovailoa could very well see himself go that early.
Some teams could trade up for him and, if that’s the case, either Okudah or Young could be available with the fourth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft
With that in mind, however, Simmons should be the guy taken by the Giants if he’s available. Judge, like other New England products, loves versatility, which exudes out of Simmons’ body. He can play safety, linebacker, and has experience in special teams, as previously mentioned.
Chase Young may be the most talented player in this draft, but he may not fit the New York Giants scheme. Young is more of a 4-3 player and Simmons seems to be more of a 3-4 player.
Isaiah Simmons played in 15 games as a junior last season at Clemson, recording 104 tackles and 16.5 tackles for a loss. Simmons also picked off three passes, had eight pass deflections, two forced fumbles, recovering one.
That is a very impressive stat line, to say the least. It’s far fetched to expect immediate greatness out of Simmons, but he certainly is a game-changer.
It seems unlikely that they’d draft a cornerback if Okudah were still available, having already added former Panthers defensive back, James Bradberry, to a three-year deal. However, it will certainly be interesting to see who they opt for.
