Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn spoke to the media today at the 2020 NFL Combine and when asked about Clemson’s hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons, he didn’t hold back any praise for the dynamic prospect.
“That guy’s a playmaker,” Quinn said.
Even though Simmons is just a redshirt junior and had a season of eligibility remaining, he’s been on the Lions radar for some time now, as Quinn noted that he stood out to them prior to this past season.
“He can do a variety of things at a very very high level,” Quinn said. “A couple of years ago, when he wasn’t even eligible, coming down the stretch the last month of the college season, he was probably one of the most dominant guys on that team, and they had a bunch of guys that got drafted last year. So, he was on our radar.”
Simmons will participate in on-field workouts with the linebacker group on Saturday, but in the Lions scheme, he would likely take on a different role, one closer to the role held by Tavon Wilson last season.
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“He’s great. He can cover tight ends. He can play the run. He can play sideline-to-sideline. He’s a very good blitzer. He’s not a big-bodied inside linebacker that’s going to take on blocks, but his athleticism, his range, and his ability to just make plays — in both the run and pass game — is really intriguing. He’s a high-level prospect.”
Traditionally, off-the-ball prospects don’t get selected high in the first round, but recently those trends have changed with linebackers such as Devin White (selected 5th in 2019), Roquan Smith (drafted 8th in 2018) and Devin Bush (10th in 2019) all being drafted in the top-10. If the Lions trade back from pick No. 3, Simmons will surely be in the conversation.