Over the last ten years, the Arizona Cardinals have had their fair share of draft day misses. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons has been one of the biggest.
After failed stints with the Cardinals and the New York Giants, Simmons seems to be blossoming in his new home.
Former Cardinals’ first-rounder Isaiah Simmons loving his role with the Green Bay Packers
Under former general manager Steve Keim, the Arizona Cardinals were known for taking swings on athletic “tweeners” who didn’t fit into typical positional archetypes. Isaiah Simmons might be the biggest example.
The Cardinals drafted Isaiah Simmons with the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Coming out of Clemson, Simmons had a unique combination of size and speed that made him an intriguing prospect. With a 4.39-second forty-yard dash and a 6’4” frame, Simmons was seen as one of the best athletes to enter the draft in recent years.
The Cardinals used Simmons as a versatile weapon on defense, though he primarily lined up as an off-ball linebacker. He was also used as a blitzer and at safety.
To put it simply, the Isaiah Simmons experiment didn’t work in Arizona. He played multiple positions and didn’t thrive at any of them. After three years with the Cardinals, he was traded to the New York Giants in exchange for a seventh-round draft pick.
Simmons was arguably better with the Giants than he was with the Cardinals, but he still failed to secure a long-term role with the team. The Giants let Simmons walk in free agency after two seasons.
This offseason, Isaiah Simmons signed with the Green Bay Packers. Apparently, he feels better in Green Bay than he did in Arizona.
When speaking to the media, Simmons praised Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley while taking subtle shots at the Arizona Cardinals. He said, “That’s something I really appreciate because I never really had that opportunity to really just hone in on one position. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL let alone stay, as well as be effective at a position, so just being able to lock in on one thing and do that 1/11 every day, I mean that’s been I feel like huge for me.”
The Packers are letting Simmons focus on just one position (off-ball linebacker) rather than trying to make him a do-it-all defensive weapon. After an injury to starting linebacker Quay Walker, Simmons has a chance to play an important role in the Packers’ defense. He’ll have the chance to get his revenge against the Cardinals when the two teams face off in Week 7 of the upcoming season.