LA Chargers: Isaiah Simmons needs to be the sixth pick

The fit of Isaiah Simmons

When the Chargers drafted Derwin James in 2018, it was all about fit within Gus Bradley’s defensive system.  James proved he could be placed in a lot of spots on defense in his outstanding rookie campaign.

One of the things that disappointed me in the 2019 season was the fact that the next level of James’ dynamic defensive play wasn’t reached because of injury. By the time he came back in December, it was clear he wasn’t 100 percent yet.

With no more screws in his feet, James should be healthy to ascend to another level with a second full year. I’ll go knock on wood after I finish writing.

Imagine giving Bradley an absolute gift to pair the multi-positional James with someone even more dynamic. Just think of a secondary with Casey Hayward, Desmond King, Nasir Adderley, James and Simmons.

Thomas Davis still leads the linebacker group with some key pieces around him, but adding a guy who could be the eventual leader of the defense for a decade sounds nice.

It would also be a fairly simple transition for Simmons. Brent Venables‘ system at Clemson always worked out of the 4-3 scheme, as well as the 4-2-5, which is pretty similar in design to what Bradley does.

There will always be an adjustment for rookies, but Simmons is pretty familiar with the scheme and positions. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that there’s great talent in the secondary as is.