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Any Team That Passes on Clemson's Isaiah Simmons Will Look Stupid by 2021

By Scott Rogust

Isaiah Simmons is arguably the most talented player in the NFL Draft, and teams would be dumb to pass on him.
Isaiah Simmons is arguably the most talented player in the NFL Draft, and teams would be dumb to pass on him. / Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

The biggest mistake a team can make during the NFL Draft? To draft based solely on need without considering the best player available. Every year, unfortunately, a number of teams comit this same blunder. There are at least three teams out there who will insist on taking a quarterback at the top of the 2020 draft due to their needs at the position, for instance, and risk doing so at their own peril.

Based on this thinking, all-around talented athletes like Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons run the risk of dropping down the draft board. We're reminding NFL organizations here and now that passing up on Simmons will be the dumbest decision they could possibly make.

Simmons is the 2020 draft class' freak athlete at large. Some have even called him the NFL's version of Zion Williamson, the kind of titanic praise that speaks for itself.

Even though Simmons is listed as a linebacker, he prefers to say that he plays the "defense" position. If you've watched Clemson games the past couple of years, Simmons slots in all over the field. From linebacker, defensive line, safety, and even occasionally cornerback (!), he can do it all.

Even though he stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 238 pounds, Simmons has the speed of an offensive skill player. That was further proven at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a ridiculous 4.39-second 40-yard dash, not to mention that he also posted a 39-inch vertical jump and 132-inch broad jump.

Simmons is a guy that can dominate at the NFL level for the next decade-plus. How can an organization pass up on taking him if he's there to be had?

Teams like the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers all could use a player like Simmons. Yet, various draft experts project that those organizations will prioritize positional needs rather than taking Simmons whether or not he's far and away the best player available.

If any team opts against selecting the do-it-all defensive ace, we guarantee they'll be kicking themselves for the rest of their lives. They should consider themselves warned.