The Cardinals selected Isaiah Simmons with the 8th pick in this year's NFL draft, the linebacker/safety/nickel cornerback hybrid out of Clemson. I dove into his tape, and found out he is everything we've been advertised.
I've cut up clips below of everything he can do on the football field. When he tells you he's three players in once, he's not lying. At all.
Listen to NFL draft analyst Dane Brugler rave about him, while you scroll down this blog and imagine what he'll be for Arizona next season.
Even though he's listed as a linebacker, he can cover receivers in man coverage. He had 3 interceptions last season:
He has the instincts to play safety:
He can QB spy (Russell Wilson):
Check out his recovery speed. Simmons runs a 4.39 40-yard dash, faster than Larry Fitzgerald and Budda Baker:
Simmons collected 16.5 tackles for loss last season (more than Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw):
And he closes incredibly fast on the blitz. He had 8 sacks last season.
This kid can change the complexion of a defense.