Dan Graziano
@DanGrazianoESPN
· 5m
I am told Lions have had a lot of pre-draft contact with Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, who is in the mix for them at No. 3 along with Jeff Okudah, Derrick Brown, others. Lions would prefer to trade back 2-3 spots and still get one from that group, but it’s unclear whether they can.
Well, it’s almost here. I’ve been waffling so much on what we should do. I’m finally committed to drafting Simmons tonight. His potential is off the charts. High ceiling, medium floor.
Okudah will be a super player imo. I have very few doubts. High ceiling and high floor.
Either one will be great at preferably 5, but also at 3 if need be.
Please no Brown or OT, or gasp QB.
Who do you guys prefer? Go Lions!
Much like Moose, I’ve bounced around what’s going to happen at three. Still believe they will get that trade down. But if stuck at three, I’ve settled in to the fact that Brown will piss me off the least.
This pick would shock me. I think being tied to all the remaining blue chip defenders is simply good business. We have to do all the necessary homework on these guys. ANY team that falls in love with player X needs to think that the Lions love them too.
Would someone trade up for Simmons? In looking at rosters the Panthers are the first team I think about. They have solid OLBers in Shaq Thompson and Brian Burns but past that their LBer core needs help.
I just don’t see Simmons as a viable safety and if he is one and you believe in positional value drafting a safety that high (esp. one who didn’t specialize as a safety only) you should want to stay clear of Simmons.
I think the Lions covet Derrick Brown and Jeffery Okudah and everything else is a sales job in terms of top ten picks.
Nobody sees Simmons as a viable safety in the NFL!
He will be a LB and not sure why this so hard to comprehend!
I guess you don’t watch NFL Network
Yes I do and what’s your point?
He may play S in certain packages, I mean he is quite versatile, but I can promise you he will be more of a LB in the NFL!
Point is if you did last night you would have seen where they said a number of teams view him as a safety
That seems crazy to me and I think he would get exploited as a safety. But I guess we will see.
Funny thing is I don’t think he’d be a good lber unless he’s a WIL. A lber that struggles to shed blocks is limited
I think a in the box S is his other fit.
This rotoworld blurb shows Simmons listed as a safety AND LBer which is how teams are viewing this kid:
" ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports the Lions have had a lot of pre-draft contact with Clemson S Isaiah Simmons.
Graziano added that Simmons is in the mix for them at No. 3 along with Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah, Auburn DT Derrick Brown and others. The Lions would reportedly prefer to trade 2-3 spots back and still get one from that group, but it’s unclear whether they can. Simmons offers the type of versatility to help this defense get respectable in a hurry, although they’re almost certainly more than one piece away from becoming a truly great unit. Trading down usually makes the most sense in situations like this."
I think the interest in Simmons is all smoke…meaning I will be shocked when we pick him!!
Syd, Brown is a very clean prospect. We could definitely do a lot worse than him.
A LB that can cover passes!
I think that’s what we all see. A WILL that can play S, but even in saying in-the-box, you have some leeway with him in that he could also drop deep at the snap.
Does Simmons fit the Lions defense system?
Actually reports are that some teams have him listed as a safety and some at LBer. Some of those who have him listed at safety view him as the top safety in their board. I read that somewhere.
However who knows what you can believe right now. Personally I think he projects better as a safety. Just like Derwin James did.