Isaiah Simmons won’t be playing all over the field. Instead, the Arizona Cardinals 2020 first round pick will exclusively play in the secondary, but where?
The good news? We know exactly which position group Isaiah Simmons will play in next season. But we still don't know where Simmons will land. And if you look at different sources, you’re going to get different answers.
However, there are two prevailing answers: nickel corner and safety. For example, if you’re to look at what the RotoWire staff said via CBS Sports, the answer is nickel corner. As for Jess Root of CardsWire via USA Today? Safety.
So now the question bodes: Where exactly might Isaiah Simmons end up on the Arizona Cardinals defense? Keep reading for a breakdown.
3 roles Arizona Cardinals former first round pick can play in the secondary
1 - Nickel Corner
If I were to project Simmons’ starting spot on the Cardinals defense, it would be nickel corner. Right now, the Cardinals top corners without Simmons are as follows:
- Marco Wilson
- Antonio Hamilton
- Garrett Williams
- Christian Matthew
- Kei’Trel Clark
We got one aging veteran who won’t be here long-term, and Williams, once cleared, will likely ease into the CB2 spot. That leaves Matthew and Clark. Matthew was uninspiring in 2022, while the 5’9 Clark is better suited for a role as a dime back/reserve corner.
If the Cards take on a 4-3 or 3-4 base, you can expect Simmons to log a lot of playing time, which would necessitate perhaps a 3-3-5, 2-4-5, or in the case of a 4-3, a 4-2-5, with Simmons serving as the additional corner. While nickel corner is the best overall fit for Simmons, it’s by no means the only fit, and he could even fare better as a safety or in a hybrid role. Let’s explore them.
2 - Safety
With Budda Baker likely to return and Jalen Thompson returning, I find it hard to believe Simmons will wind up at safety, or at least full-time. The only way this happens would be if either Baker or Thompson undergo a position change, which I don’t believe is likely given their respective efficacy over the past few seasons, or Simmons lines up as a third safety, another unlikely scenario.
While it would be cool to see Simmons lining up at the position since it would let him potentially evolve into the Arizona Cardinals version of Kam Chancellor. But you could think of Simmons as a bigger and faster version of the former Seattle Seahawks safety. A scary thought, to say the least.
Simmons also possesses traits closer to that of a safety. His statistics over the past two seasons show that he’s a sure tackler. And given his spotty skills in coverage, Simmons may benefit from potentially playing far more zone defense than man. So while he is more likely going to line up in the nickel, I personally wouldn’t mind the Cards pegging Simmons in at safety.
3 - Hybrid
One thing to remember regarding Simmons is that he moved to defensive back so he could focus on becoming a better player in the unit. However, that doesn’t mean he’s going to focus on just one position in the secondary, so Simmons could end up taking on a hybrid role, playing nickel corner in certain situations while moving to safety in others.
The hybrid approach would further benefit not just Simmons, but the entire defense in the event Matthew or Clark show they are worthy of seeing more playing time at corner, freeing Simmons to play in spots other than nickel. The hybrid role would also allow Simmons to rotate in and out of corner and safety on an as-needed basis, keeping fresh legs on the field at all times.
Overall, there is no shortage of what the Arizona Cardinals can do with Simmons regarding where he plays in the secondary. Nickel corner is the surefire front runner, so expect him to line up there in camp. But don’t be surprised if he ends up lining up elsewhere in the unit.