Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons has long been considered one of the most gifted defensive players in the 2020 NFL Draft, and his performance at the 2020 NFL Combine Saturday night confirmed all of the massive hype that’s surrounded him since the end of the 2019 college football season.
Simply put, Simmons was spectacular.
😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/IXmZmKYvdX
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 1, 2020
His final workout numbers were unicorn-like. There hasn’t been a linebacker with his kind of diverse skill-set to enter the NFL since Brian Urlacher, who went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career. Simmons doesn’t have the same physical makeup as Urlacher, but his incredible athleticism and ability in coverage is the exact recipe defensive coordinators are searching for to slow down modern NFL offenses.
Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons’ Combine results so far:
▫️6-4, 238 pounds
▫️9 5/8th inch hands, 33 3/8th inch arms
▫️39” vertical jump
▫️11-foot broad jump
▫️4.39 40This man was built in a lab.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 1, 2020
Simmons has long been considered a top-10 pick, but after Saturday’s workout, there’s virtually no chance he makes it out of the first five selections. The Detroit Lions (No. 3) and New York Giants (No. 4) are strong candidates to select him, and the Miami Dolphins (No. 5) have even more leverage to trade down if they decide Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn’t the answer under center.
Confirmed. @isaiahsimmons25 is fast. #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/ABtvtOAeUt
— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2020
Simmons’ workout is a great example of a player’s athletic traits matching his film. His tape and his Combine results are elite. And when you have such an elite prospect within reach, you take him.
That’s exactly what one of those teams picking in the top five will do this April.