Isaiah Simmons Draft Pick

Isaiah Simmons Draft Pick

Position: Linebacker/Safety
Team: New York Giants

Personal Information:

• Born: July 26, 1998 (age 25)
• Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
• Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
• Weight: 238 lb (108 kg)

Career Information:

• High School: Olathe North (Olathe, Kansas)
• College: Clemson (2016–2019)
• NFL Draft: 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8

Career History:

• Arizona Cardinals (2020–2022)
• New York Giants (2023–present)
• Roster Status: Active

isaiah simmons draft class

Career Highlights and Awards:

• PFWA All-Rookie Team (2020)
• CFP national champion (2018)
• Butkus Award (college) (2019)
• Unanimous All-American (2019)
• ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2019)
• First-team All-ACC (2019)

isaiah simmons draft year

Career NFL Statistics as of Week 18, 2022:

• Total tackles: 258
• Sacks: 7.5
• Forced fumbles: 7
• Fumble recoveries: 2
• Interceptions: 4
• Pass deflections: 16
• Touchdowns: 1

The Arizona Cardinals have traded Isaiah Simmons, who was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft, to the New York (NY) Giants.

Trade Details

• Team Sending Player: Arizona Cardinals
• Player Traded: Isaiah Simmons
• Receiving Team: New York Giants
• Reason for Trade: Moving on from the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft after three lackluster seasons

isaiah simmons draft profile

Trade Announcement

• Announcement Date: Thursday
• Preseason Performance: Disappointing performance in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs

Draft Picks Involved

• Giants to Cardinals: Seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft

Pending Condition

isaiah simmons draft pick

• Trade completion is pending on Simmons passing a physical examination.

Player Profile

• Name: Isaiah Simmons
• Age: 25 years old
• Background: Stellar college career at Clemson

Draft Outlook

• Year: 2020
• Prospect Evaluation: Can’t-miss defensive prospect

Performance with the Cardinals

• Position Transition: Attempting to move from linebacker to safety
• Role: Never quite found a defined role with the Cardinals

Physical Attributes

• Height: 6 feet 4 inches
• Weight: 238 pounds

Cardinals’ Perspective on Simmons’ Position Switch

• Supportive Stance: Team was supportive of Simmons’ switch from linebacker to safety
• Lack of Logic: The move didn’t make sense from a team perspective, as they were already well-equipped at safety with Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson

Lack of Warning

• Sudden Trade: Little indication that Simmons was about to be traded
• Surprise Announcement: Trade was unexpected for many

Statement from Cardinals Coach

• Name: Jonathan Gannon
• Response to Trade: Commented on Simmons’ performance and team’s future direction
• Thursday’s Statement: “He did everything that we asked him to do.”
• Future Plans: “This is the best way that how we want to play football against other people.”

Cardinals’ Current Schedule

• Location: Minnesota
• Activities: Joint practices with the Vikings
• Upcoming Game: Preseason game on Saturday against the Vikings

Simmons’ Performance and Struggles

• Productivity: Simmons has been productive over the past two seasons with 105 and 99 tackles, respectively.
• Tendency for Mistakes: Despite his productivity, he has had a tendency for big mistakes that frustrated previous coach Kliff Kingsbury.

Cardinals’ Decision-Making Process

• New Regime: Decisions made by the new regime, led by Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort
• Non-Exercise of Contract Option: The Cardinals chose not to exercise the fifth-year option on Simmons’ contract during the offseason
• Decision to Trade Simmons: Later, they decided to part ways with the player completely.

Quotes from Ossenfort

• Well-Wishes for Simmons: “He’s been here the last three seasons and wish him the best going forward.”
• Decision-Making Process: “But just for us as a team where we’re at, we thought it was the best move to make.”

Upcoming Game and Trade of Jones

• Cardinals vs. Giants: The Cardinals and Giants will face each other in Week 2.
• Additional Trade: Offensive lineman Josh Jones and the team’s seventh-round pick in 2024 were traded to the Houston Texans for a fifth-round pick in 2024.
• Jones’ Performance: Jones played in every game the past two seasons, starting 12 times in 2021 and nine times last season. Jones was selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, two rounds after Simmons.

Simmons’ Draft and Transition

• Drafted in 2020: Simmons was selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft
• Unique Ability Turned Deterrent: His perceived unique ability at the time has now become a detriment in 2023

Cardinals’ Struggles with Utilizing Simmons

• Uncertainty of Position: The Cardinals were aware of Simmons’ ability to play safety or linebacker but struggled to find the right fit for him
• Playing Stats: Over his first three seasons, Simmons played in 50 games with 37 starts
• Incompatible with Future Plans: The Cardinals did not see Simmons fitting into their future plans, leading to the decision to trade him to the New York Giants

Giants’ Expectations for Simmons

• Boosting Defense: The Giants view Simmons as the missing piece on defense that can elevate their performance
• Previous Season and Motivation: The Giants’ 2022 season ended with a loss to divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round, leaving them determined to capitalize on their current state and achieve success.