New York Giants: Does Isaiah Simmons offer more than a tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft?

New York Giants, Isaiah Simmons, Andrew Thomas
New York Giants, Isaiah Simmons, Andrew Thomas

General manager Dave Gettleman is an interesting evaluator, and for the New York Giants, he has taken a step away from his traditional methods at times to adapt to a more modernized approach. Similar to Carolina, he drafted a running back extremely high in Saquon Barkley and formerly Christian McCaffrey. Both are elite players in the NFL and represent the next generation of backs; however, his offensive line approach has taken a little change.

The latest pick Gettleman spent on a lineman was the 64th overall selection for Taylor Moton, but he chose Will Hernandez out of UTEP with the 34th overall pick two years back. He has never spent a first-round pick on the OL, but that could change in 2020, depending on how he views the Giants’ needs.

The big conundrum Gettleman faces is whether he should invest the 4th overall pick in a tackle or Clemson standout defender Isaiah Simmons.

What the New York Giants should be considering:

First and foremost, Nate Solder is still slotted into the left tackle position, which indicates that he will be the starter in 2020. So, if Gettleman invests in a tackle, they’re already in a position to compete, unless, they can play both sides of the line like Tristan Wirfs. In that scenario, the Giants can have Wirfs (or another prospect) compete for the starting right tackle spot with the projection that they will transfer over to the left side in 2021. Again, this doesn’t provide an immediate influence like Isaiah Simmons would on defense.

I’m happy with Simmons or an offensive tackle, but the Giants’ defense is in dire need of a playmaking linebacker who can play multiple positions. Simmons is a self-proclaimed “defender,” meaning he can play mid-high safety, slot corner, weakside, and MIKE linebacker. He’s a jack of all trades player and is only 20-years-old, indicating the room he has to develop.

Protecting Daniel Jones is a priority, but it’s difficult to pass on Simmons, who can bolster a defense that failed to hold teams from scoring in the first and fourth quarters last year. He also has a positive injury history.

To conclude, Simmons does offer more than a tackle simply because he impacts the team immediately while the Giants’ offensive line has a few road-blocks in place — Solder, Nick Gates, Cam Fleming. There are players set to compete for spots or already plugged in=. The more efficient move might be to draft Simmons and snag a prospect with a high ceiling to take over in 2021 when Solder is inevitably cut.