Best-Case Draft Scenario for Simmons is 'Positionless' Panthers

The best-case scenario for former Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons is to go No. 7 overall to the Carolina Panthers and new head coach Matt Rhule, who believes in using players with the versatility of dynamic talent.

There never has been and there will likely never be the “perfect” NFL draft pick.

No matter how talented a player is or how much hype (real or produced) there is around a prospect, there are always going to be a dissenting voices in the crowd.

And that’s fine. This rule applies to nearly every aspect of life.

When viewing former Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons through this prism and trying to figure out where the ultra-talented, versatile defensive hybrid will end up in Thursday’s first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, there are different schools of thought.

Simmons has been called a “wild card” and “polarizing” by NFL analysts. You flip on the film and you see a guy who played over 100 snaps at five different positions last two seasons. As an All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, he made plays at every level, leading the Tigers in tackles, tackles for a loss and sacks while finishing second in interceptions.

Simmons, who showed out at the NFL combine, might be a linebacker in the pros. He might be a safety. He might be both. And there are NFL executives and coaches out there who don’t want uncertainty or don't think they can design ways to easily use him.

Then there’s Matt Rhule, the new head coach of the Carolina Panthers, who actually prefers a method to coaching that sounds perfect for a player like Simmons.

“I try to think of everything as positionless football in my mind,” Rhule said earlier this month. “Because I think when you start saying, ‘This guy has to play this,’ then you’re never playing the next best player.”

That’s why there’s no better place for Simmons to be. Forget that the Panthers have never drafted a Clemson player. This is a new era in Carolina, a team that’s also looking for new faces of the franchise on defense.

“He’s just so unique,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “Everybody’s looking for that. So many people play in sub-packages these days. It’s such a different game. You almost start your installation with your sub-package. Most people are in 11 personnel."

Simmons, who played college ball 140 miles from Charlotte, could just be too positionless for the Panthers to pass up with the No. 7 overall selection. Even if the Panthers were to trade and move down, Simmons could still be a Panthers candidat if offensive tackles, quarterbacks and receivers push defenders toward the middle of the draft.

"You only get 53 on (an NFL) roster. I feel like if you draft me, you get 56," Simmons said on the NFL Network on Wednesday. 

He'd ultimately give the Panthers a player to help replace retired linebacker Luke Kuechly and stay on the field in different packages. And don't forget, NFC South foe Tampa Bay has signed quarterback Tom Brady and traded for tight end Rob Gronkowski. Simmons believes he can neutralize that pass-catching position. 

Carolina could ultimately take defensive tackle Derrick Brown or cornerback Jeff Okudah, but playing for Rhule, who actually wants players like Simmons, is the best situation for the former Tiger. 

“It used to be, ‘What do you do with a tweener?’ Now, everybody’s looking for the tweener, that guy that can be a sub-package type guy and can do everything you need to do," Swinney said. "Isaiah is kind of another level to that. Just decide where you want to play him and he’ll be good at that."

Other potential fits

•New York Giants have several needs, including linebacker, but many experts believe they could use the fourth overall pick on an offensive tackle. It's a team that believes it could find the best use for Simmons if they were to select him, and he would be asked to do a lot for a struggling defense. 

•Los Angeles Chargers could surprise many people and pass on a quarterback with the No. 6 pick, opting to take a signal-caller later in the draft. If so, Simmons makes a ton of sense here. Despite already having defensive stars in Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Melvin Ingram, they ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency last year and struggled to get pressure on the QB and get off the field on third downs. Simmons could fix issues and free up others to make plays.

•Arizona Cardinals at No. 8 could very well be the likeliest team to trade out of the top 10, but if there's a run on offensive tackles, their preferred position to address, Simmons could be an intriguing option if they sit tight. He could roam around and play various roles in their 3-4 scheme for a team that ranked 31st in defensive efficiency last year.