The draft is approaching, and the Panthers need a defense. 

It’s been a whirlwind of an offseason in Charlotte, as the offense has been ramped up with the addition of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, receiver Robby Anderson, the trade for left tackle Russell Okung and the coaching hires of Matt Rhule and Joe Brady. With the offense set, it’s expected that defense will be the prime objective in the 2020 draft.

“We’ve put a lot of currency into the offensive side,” Marty Hurney said last week. “We’ve obviously added depth at receiver, added depth and competition on the offensive line and we’ve changed quarterbacks … So if you were to say ‘What area do you look at the most’ it would be defense rather than offense at this point.”

There’s holes in the interior, at linebacker, and especially in the secondary that need to be addressed. As of this writing, this is a unit that is going to lose the team a lot of games regardless of how much talent the offense has and as such, the right pieces need to be selected and addressed for this group to make steps in the right direction.

nfl draft

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Three players in particular have been in discussions amongst fans regarding the team’s seventh overall pick: Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, Ohio State corner Jeffrey Okudah, and Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown. All three are, of course, players at positions of significant need for the Panthers, but which one should the team swoop in and grab if all three are available on draft night?

Let’s take a look and find out for ourselves in this three-way battle for the seventh overall selection. 

Isaiah Simmons

Photo Credit: John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

The one word that comes to mind when watching this Clemson standout is versatility. While known primarily as a linebacker, Isaiah Simmons has also lined up as a safety, defensive end, and even as a cornerback. If the linebacker/safety hybrid sounds familiar, it should, as Carolina’s own Shaq Thompson took snaps at both linebacker and safety, as did Thomas Davis.

Simmons matched his versatility with stunning quality in his junior season, finishing with 67 solo tackles, eight sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss, eight passes defended, and three interceptions. His efforts were lauded and rewarded him with an Unanimous All-American selection as well as the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Simmons’ value is shown all over the field, but it’s his hub at linebacker that makes Charlotte a potential landing spot. It goes without saying that mentioning the linebacker spot is impossible without bringing up Luke Kuechly. The Carolina legend consistently played at a level that made it necessary to shovel top-tier money his way, so if Simmons is selected at #7, he has some big shoes to fill.

Based on Simmons’ hype and his level of play in college, he has a shot to make the shoes fit.

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Let’s get started with a clip of Simmons lined up as a safety.

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The quarterback keeps on this zone read as Simmons is watching the play carefully from afar.

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The quarterback tries to find the edge, but Simmons gets to him well before he gets to the line of scrimmage.

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This looks like an easy play (and perhaps it is), but Simmons should be lauded for barely breaking speed on this rush. He correctly reads the play, contains the inside, briefly hesitates to survey the quarterback’s next move, then bursts and prevents him from getting anything outside on a tackle for a loss.

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Here, Clemson has Simmons lined up ready to blitz up the C-gap.

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The strategy works well, and Simmons looks like a traditional edge rusher on this play…

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…as he pushes down the blocking back (practically posterizing him in the process), on his way to the quarterback.

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This is a sensational rush from the Clemson prodigy. This is a move you’d expect to see from J.J. Watt or Von Miller, yet Simmons uses a lot of power on this play without missing a beat. 

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Let’s take a look at another example of Simmons’ pass rushing skills. This time he’s more at home in his usual linebacking position.

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Once again blitzing the C-gap, Simmons manages to get inside for the sack. It’s stunning how much he resembles a traditional edge rusher on this play, and moments like this make it easy to see why he’s so highly regarded.

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Finally, as far as safety services go, the Panthers could potentially get two players for the price of one. Simmons, as already mentioned, has taken snaps as a safety and has been quite good when in that role. This may not be the role he should be used in the most, but in a defense that already has a safety/linebacker hybrid (Thompson), two of them would be enticing.

Teams are usually wary of drafting linebackers in the top 10, but Simmons seems like a special case where his talent and diverse skill set could make it worth it.

 

Up Next: The Best Corner in The Draft

Johnny Kinsley
Contributor
In addition to The Riot Report, Johnny Kinsley writes for The Phinsider, Dynasty League Football, and 49ers Hub. He is a devoted member of the Church of Curtis Samuel.