As the Arizona Cardinals defense continues to struggle, their prized first round draft pick, Isaiah Simmons, is still seeing limited playing time.
With the uncertainty of how the 2020 NFL would unfold, the Arizona Cardinals were patient as the names started to roll off the board. Sitting at No. 8, the draft could’ve went in a myriad of directions. But Steve Keim got his man, as Clemson defensive standout Isaiah Simmons fell into his lap in the first round.
In his 4 years at Clemson, Simmons made quite the name for himself ruining opposing defenses as he lined up almost everywhere except defensive tackle. In all, he amassed 238 total tackles, 11 sacks and 4 interceptions. At the combine, he was asked which position he played, he simply responded, “defense.”
That type of production would have any NFL GM salivating at the opportunity to draft him. So when he fell to the Cardinals, fans were ecstatic, as the defense needed a quick turnaround from a disastrous campaign in 2019 under first year coordinator Vance Joseph.
Fast-forward to 2020 and the Cards defense is once again struggling under the aforementioned Joseph. They currently rank 15th in total defense, giving up 362 total yards per game and 124.5 yards on the ground. They’ve also had issues in creating turnovers, as the offense finds a way to give the ball away. They are currently -3 in the turnover differential — only one interception and 2 fumbles for the defense.
Not a great start for the first quarter of the season. Which begs the question: Why is your No. 1 pick, perhaps the most versatile and athletic player, sitting on the bench? One could argue he’s a rookie and needs more time to study — but without a preseason, more reps on the bench will not help his progression. Only live reps against NFL offenses can help alleviate any concerns for the rookie.
One month has passed, and the Cardinals sit at 2-2. If they want to turn things around and get back to the top of the division, they’ll need to start by trusting their talented young first round pick.