Los Angeles Chargers first-round selection: Isaiah Simmons, linebacker, Clemson
Don’t even think about complaining. Just do not. There are multiple reasons this makes sense. First off, he is not just a linebacker. He is a safety, he is a linebacker, he is a corner, he is an edge. In other words, he is a Charger.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Simmons might be the best defensive player in this draft, including Chase Young. Add in the rumors that he runs a 4.31 40-yard dash at the size he is, and I’m sold.
With the regression of Desmond King this season, and the question mark at linebacker continuing, this pick would be what the Chargers desperately need. A playmaker. Not a solid guy, not a good run stuffer, but a playmaker. Drue Tranquill has been a nice surprise, but he is not anywhere near the level of Simmons.
Now, just imagine Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram rushing the passer, and then picture Derwin James, Isaiah Simmons, and Nasir Adderley patrolling the backfield. As a quarterback, you have no idea which one might be sent on a blitz, which one might drop back, which one will attack the flats.
Add in King hopefully having a bounce-back year, and… I’m getting a bit excited. Time to move on.