Isaiah Simmons could be there when Arizona Cardinals select

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Arizona Cardinals could land the linebacker with their first-round selection

Since the NFL’s free agent signing period got underway in mid-March, the Arizona Cardinals defense appears to be trending upwards. Brand new additions such as Jordan Phillips, Devon Kennard and De’Vondre Campbell should help to improve a group that was the team’s Achilles heel in 2019. There’s a particular college prospect, however, who could potentially take coordinator Vance Joseph‘s unit to another level.

Isaiah Simmons, a versatile linebacker out of Clemson University, would be a fantastic first-round acquisition for the Cards. The 21-year old’s outstanding performance at the Scouting Combine has raised his draft stock considerably. In fact, Arizona’s “war room” would likely be jumping for joy if the highly-touted Simmons is still on the board for the club at the eighth-overall selection.

While it’s far from a sure thing, there’s a distinct possibility that Simmons could make it through the first seven picks undrafted. If all of the stars align correctly, the Cardinals could very well walk away with the 2020 draft’s most talented player on April 23rd.

The worst-kept secret in the league is that the Cincinnati Bengals will take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the event’s first-overall choice. A pick later, it’s widely expected that the Washington Redskins will add Ohio State defensive end Chase Young to their roster. At number-three overall, it would make sense for the Detroit Lions to replace veteran cornerback Darius Slay with Ohio State star Jeff Okudah.

With the fourth-overall selection, look for the New York Giants to solidify their offensive tackle position with Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. At number five, the Miami Dolphins will grab either Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa or Oregon’s Justin Herbert to be their franchise passer going forward. The Los Angeles Chargers have the exact same agenda at number-six overall, and could conceivably end up with whichever signal-caller the Dolphins pass on.

Getting Simmons by the Jacksonville Jaguars at number seven will be tricky but not impossible. Ultimately, Jaguars general manager David Caldwell elects to get a pass-catching weapon for second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew. Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb will be heading to Florida, and the Cards have cleared the final hurdle for landing the sensational Simmons.

Acquiring the 6’4, 238 pound Simmons would put a huge exclamation point on what has been an exciting offseason for the Cardinals. At this point, it would be surprising if the freakishly-gifted defender isn’t at the top of the organization’s most-wanted list. With a little luck, Simmons will be causing havoc for the Arizona defensive unit this coming fall.