2020 NFL Draft: 3 most overhyped rookies entering 2020
By Cory Kinnan
LB Isaiah Simmons, Arizona Cardinals
Ruffling some feathers right off the bat.
With the eighth pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals were able to land superstar Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons. However, there is a reason a player of Simmons’ caliber almost dropped out of the top-10 to begin with: how does a defensive coordinator plan to use him at the next level?
Will he be played as strictly a linebacker at the second level? Or will a coordinator take the liberties to move Simmons around all over the field, to the third level and into the nickel, just as Clemson did? However, the defensive coordinator in Arizona deserves a bit of skepticism towards his name, as Vance Joseph did not please as the head coach with the Denver Broncos, and underwhelmed in Phoenix last year as well.
Not only should there be little faith in Joseph’s ability to use Simmons in the Cardinals’ defense, but Arizona also went out and signed two other linebackers in the form of Jordan Hicks and De’Vondre Campbell this offseason as well in free agency. As the NFL transitions to pass-heavy offensive sets, there is usually only enough food to feed to mouths at the linebacker position in the prevalent nickel looks.
Not only will Simmons have to fight through two established players for playing time, but he will also have to put his trust in Joseph to deploy him correctly in the desert. The Clemson rookie has a ton of outside circumstance to overcome if he wants to live up to the hype.