New York Giants: After His Combine Performance, Isaiah Simmons Should Be The Top Target

The 2020 NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up this week with plenty of impressive performances from the draft’s top prospects. The New York Giants are picking in the top-ten for the third-straight year. This year, the Giants own the fourth overall pick and are in prime position to land an elite prospect or a haul of picks in a trade back.

There have been plenty of different prospects linked to the Giants in various rumors, reports, and mock drafts. One name that keeps coming up is Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, especially after the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Simmons lit the Combine up and should be a top target for the Giants in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Isaiah Simmons 2020 NFL Scouting Combine Performance

Isaiah Simmons completely dominated the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. He nearly broke the internet with his running back-level forty-yard dash time of 4.39 seconds, which was the best time by a linebacker by far. Isaiah also recorded the second-best broad jump by a linebacker at 11’0″ and the tied-third-best vertical jump at 39″.

Simmons’s incredible Combine performance is shooting him up, draft boards. Analysts are saying that there is no way Isaiah should make it past the fourth pick. The New York Giants hold that pick and rumors suggest that they are interested in taking Isaiah Simmons fourth overall. For a long list of reasons, they should.

Why He Should Be The Pick At Fourth Overall

The Giants do not need a quarterback. They have their franchise guy in Daniel Jones. Scratch Tua and Herbert off the list. Chase Young is unlikely to fall outside of the top three, so scratch him off the list, too. The Giants could still go a few different routes with the fourth pick. They could address a pressing need and take one of the top offensive tackle prospects. But there are a couple of elite defensive talents that should be available when the Giants are on the clock.

Isaiah Simmons, out of Clemson, is one of the elite defenders that should be on the board fourth overall. In fact, he should be at the top of the board. 

“There isn’t anything I can’t do. Somebody has got to stop the Travis Kelce and George Kittle’s.” - Isaiah Simmons at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine

The above quote by Isaiah Simmons at the Combine this week perfectly summarizes why he is such a valuable prospect. The best teams in the league are relying heavily on pre-snap motion and versatile tight ends with excellent blocking abilities. It is extremely difficult to find players to match up against tight ends like Kittle and Kelce. Safeties might be able to cover them, but they probably cannot fight off their blocks in run-defense. Linebackers might be able to get the best of them in run-defense, but they typically do not have the speed to cover these versatile tight ends. Isaiah Simmons has the speed, the coverage ability, and the strength to do this from the linebacker position. He will be a real X-Factor for whichever team drafts him.

Isaiah Simmons is the definition of versatility. According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons played over 100 snaps at five different positions in the 2019 CFB season. He is a positionless player with the talent, skills, and athleticism to excel at whatever position he plays.

The Giants would hit a home run by selecting Isaiah Simmons fourth overall. He has the highest ceiling of any defender in the draft class. Simmons is an elite talent that would fill a massive position of need for New York. Isaiah Simmons’s rare versatility, such as his 8 sacks and 3 interceptions in 2019, makes him the top target for the Giants with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.