LA Chargers: Prospects in rounds 1-3 that could replace Thomas Davis Sr.
By Jason Reed
First-round option: Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
If you do not know who Isaiah Simmons is already then you are missing out on one of the most exciting draft prospects in the entire 2020 NFL Draft. There is a decent chance that Simmons gets selected before the sixth-overall pick, but if he is still there and the Chargers have a different plan for the quarterback position then he would absolutely be worth taking.
Simmons is an athletic menace in the center of the defense and in many ways represents the new wave of NFL linebackers. Not only is he a physical hitter that will punish any player leaking into the middle of the field, but he has the athleticism and speed of a wide receiver.
Simmons ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which was faster than Derwin James. Like James as well, Simmons can play all over the field, giving the Chargers two elite, young and versatile defensive menaces to build the team around.
Simmons can play strongside linebacker, which is where Davis played, he could play safety, he could be a slot cornerback. Heck, he could probably even line up at defensive end and get to the quarterback if the Chargers really needed him to.
He is a freak and he is one of those prospects that you know going into the draft is going to be a future Pro Bowler. That is exactly the mindset we had with Darius Leonard, who Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compares him to.
If the Chargers signed a free-agent quarterback or plan on moving forward with Tyrod Taylor as a bridge quarterback before selecting a quarterback in the middle rounds then Simmons would be the perfect selection. If he was still on the board, Tom Telesco would not think twice.