Report: Arizona Cardinals trading Isaiah Simmons to New York Giants
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports Thursday that Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons has been traded to the New York Giants for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick.
The Cardinals selected Simmons with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft following a standout career at Clemson.
In his three seasons in the NFL, Simmons has recorded 258 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 4 interceptions, and will be taking his defensive versatility to the Big Apple.
Simmons started in 37 of his 50 career NFL games for Arizona, but struggled to find a home positionally for the Cardinals defense. He was lauded out of college for his size, speed, athleticism, and versatility on the defensive side of the ball, posting a 4.39 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine at 6-foot-4, 238 pounds. For the Tigers, he took snaps all over the defense as an off-ball linebacker, a pass rusher, a safety, and a slot corner.
But his versatility became his Achilles heel with the Cardinals, struggling in run support as a linebacker and in coverage as a safety and slot corner in their defensive scheme. It was even reported in June that the Cardinals switched his position to more of a pass rusher role, one that clearly didn’t work out as he’ll now be taking his talents to the New York Giants.
Hopefully, Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will be able to find a role for Simmons, as New York was desperate to add depth at their inside linebacker spot and the edge of their defense.
In his career, Simmons played 1,077 snaps at inside linebacker, 432 at EDGE, 641 in the slot, 65 as a wide cornerback, and 63 as a free safety. And while he failed to thrive at one particular position, there is a chance his weaknesses in Arizona can serve as strengths in New York, as he’ll now be playing for a Giants defense that held opponents to 21.8 points per game compared to a Cardinals unit that ranked 31st in the league last season in points allowed.
Simmons was a four-star prospect out of Olathe North High School in Olathe, Kansas, where he was ranked the No. 36 linebacker and the No. 338 overall prospect for the 2016 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.