Versatile Simmons to Start Out Mastering Linebacker Spot

New Arizona Cardinals defensive weapon Isaiah Simmons will play linebacker predominantly according to defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Ever since the Cardinals selected defender Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall selection in the draft last Thursday, his versatility at Clemson has been the stuff of legend.

During the 2019 season, Pro Football Focus had these snap counts for Simmons on defense:

Slot cornerback: 286

Safety: 218

Outside linebacker: 160

Inside linebacker: 120

Perimeter cornerback: 17

Thus, the question of the day is how the Cardinals and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will utilize him.

Appearing on Fox Football Now (FS1) Monday night, Simmons admitted, “The plan right now is for me to get locked in at one position, master that, be able to go out and dominate that, but also be able to sprinkle me in here and there just to create a little bit of deception on the defense.”

Speaking to reporters Tuesday in a videoconference, Joseph agreed that is the plan starting out, but acknowledging it will be imperative to take advantage of everything he can do.

Joseph said, “He will be a linebacker and a dime in our sub-package, but we drafted this guy because of what we saw him do at Clemson. So the things he did there, he's going to do for us as far as covering tight ends. He's a guy that can solve problems for us. And with his speed and length he can be an eraser when bad plays happen. Obviously, each game plan is different as problems come along, and he can solve them for us. He would definitely be a candidate to do those things for us.”

Noting that the NFL is comprised of “the best players in the world,” Joseph is realistic about what Simmons will be capable of, at least at the beginning.

“Some things he did at Clemson are realistic; some things won't be,” Joseph said. “He's going to be a linebacker for us. He's going to have some special roles versus certain opponents that we play, but I can't guarantee he's going to play corner for us or play safety for us full time. But he's a 6-4 guy. He ran 4.3. He's got great lateral quickness; he's so long he can make up for a lack of some quickness with his length. I wouldn't bet against him, but I think what he did at Clemson; some of it would translate and some of it won't.”

Where his versatility will mostly be used is in sub packages/passing downs, which in today’s NFL can be 60 or more percent of the plays. That’s where the offense might not know where he is. Joseph said while watching tape of Simmons it was often difficult to find him.

As Joseph said,

“With a guy like Isaiah with his size and his speed, his length, I'm not sure how you're going to see him. Is he an outside ‘backer, is he an off-the-ball ‘backer, especially when you add to a package, with three guys out there like Campbell, Jordan and Isaiah? Who's the fourth rusher in that group? I can't tell you how they will see it, but that could be deceiving for an offensive line to kind of determine who's going to be the fourth rusher.”

Joseph said he is willing to try everything. He said, “If it's a job that we think he can do, we will put him out there. That's why he was drafted. I don't want to bring Isaiah here and kind of ‘lower it down.’ I want Isaiah to be looking at Clemson tape.

“I want to do all those things if possible. And if they're not possible, we'll move on somewhere else. But if they're possible, we're going to use him to win games and a problem solver for us and to be an eraser on our defense.”

The more speed you add the more guys who who can erase bad plays for you on Sundays, it's always important pieces. Your second question Oh, where is it going to line up I mean, this will be a

like most players, when you're doing your study, you can kind of zoom in on one position and watch that guy play five games. But with Simmons, it was tough to to find him sometimes, you know, not, again, that speaks to his football IQ on top of his physical traits, you know, so he couldn't do that many jobs with that much success if he wasn't intelligent.

Well, your first question And easier Is he a pass rusher or a Blitzer I think he can do both I think a pass rusher that's that's more of what Chandler does every down but I've seen I've seen him pass rush you know and obviously when you're a Blitzer you have to have some kind of pass rushing technique because if they have a blocker for you which in this league they probably will most of the time unless they make a mistake you have to have some some technique to to make moves and use your hands and flip your hips to be a pass rusher I've seen him do that. I've also seen him rush you know when he's clean and it's a it's a quarterback you know standing in a pocket clean I mean he can he can he can finish on quarterbacks I've seen him also beat beat backs and tight ends one on one as a pass rusher so he's he's both I mean when you that tall and long with that kind of burst you know being a Blitzer or pass rusher is kind of one and the same as far as Isaiah playing some strong safety., hey it's very possible. It's very possible. You know, we play a team In our division that plays with a fullback and an alll pro tight end, so, you know, you know we can have a package there where he can walk down overKittle and be a strontg safety and so with with this kid skill set, you know he can do a lot of things but until we touch him until we gameplan I can't guarantee you where he's going to be. But I know he's very intelligent, I know he's very tall and long and he runs 4.3 he's got ball skills, and any stuff so