Isaiah Simmons Making Case as Most Well-Rounded Defensive Prospect With NFL Combine Performance

Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young is still the best defensive player in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he is not the most versatile nor the most unique. That title belongs to Clemson linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons.

The former Tiger has outrageous size for a linebacker at 6-4 and 238 pounds, and he came in the top 10% of all linebackers in Combine history in the vertical jump, broad jump and the 40-yard dash, which he ran in a hasty 4.39 seconds.

Simmons was listed as a linebacker, but he played almost as many snaps at safety for Clemson. In fact, Simmons logged more than 25 snaps at linebacker, safety, outside corner, slot corner and defensive end. That versatility isn't just rare, it's almost unheard of.

It would be a travesty if Simmons falls out of the top 10, though teams picking in the middle of the first round will surely be hoping he does. The likes of Detroit, Carolina and Jacksonville, all of whom have needs in their linebacking corps and secondary, should be figuring out a way to secure the selection of Simmons right now.

The term "freak" is the most overused word in the entire scouting lexicon, as only a handful of players every year truly meet freak standards. Simmons not only meets all those barometers, but he exceeds them in ways he haven't seen from a linebacker before. This guy is the real deal, folks.