Clemson Football: Will Isaiah Simmons fall out of top 10 in NFL draft?

Isaiah Simmons may be the most dynamic player in the 2020 NFL Draft class, but will the Clemson football star fall out of the top 10?

Isaiah Simmons comes into the 2020 NFL Draft after spending four years at Clemson — he was a safety for the first three years and a linebacker his last year playing for the Tigers.

Simmons showcased his talents at the NFL combine and received the fourth-highest prospect grade of 7.08, which is considered Pro-Bowl caliber talent. The question is will Simmons comparatively draft in the top five as ranked in the combine draft prospects or will he go to his new team as a lower pick?

We’ll examine Simmons’ football history, his strengths, weaknesses and predict where he will land in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Background

Isaiah Simmons came to Clemson from Olathe, Kan., in 2016 and redshirted his freshman year, playing one game with Tigers, but also joined the Clemson track and field team that spring.

In Simmons’ first full season the next year, he played in 13 games and posted a total of 45 tackles, three tackles for loss and one sack. Also, he recorded six pass deflections and one forced fumble.

Simmons played in 15 games in his sophomore year, including the national title game against Alabama. He posted almost double the total tackles from the year before with 88 — 53 solos and 35 assists. Simmons recorded nine tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one defensive touchdown, six pass deflections and three forced fumbles as well in 2018.

During his last year with Clemson, as a junior, he posted his career-high stats during his collegiate career. He recorded 104 total tackles — 67 solo and 37 assists — and 16.5 tackles for loss. He also posted eight sacks, three interceptions, eight pass deflections, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.

Simmons was also honored with the 2019 ACC Defensive Player of the Year award and the 2019 Dick Butkus award, which was the first time it was awarded to a Clemson player.

https://twitter.com/ClemsonFB/status/1203834141969530882?s=20

Strengths

Simmons possesses the length and agility that gives him a larger tackle range as well as elite sideline-to-sideline range. He’s an explosive run and jump player and it has proven to be difficult to throw over him from the zone. Also, he is quick to slap and dislodge throws from the opponent and he can predict blitz packages and disguised coverages. His versatility gives coordinators more freedom in game-planning.

Weaknesses

Simmons transitioned into the linebacker position in his last year at Clemson, and as a result, he has a slight delay in reading and responding as an inside linebacker. In addition, he hasn’t figured out angles and timing as a downhill linebacker, and he doesn’t have an early speed burst from transitions. He needs to improve on his instincts near the line of scrimmage and work on his short-area footwork.

Draft Projection

There is a high probability Simmons will be selected within the first 10 picks of the draft. However, in my mock draft, I have Simmons going to the New York Jets with the 11th pick.