Really, like what’s the likelihood that a LB could actually excel at EVERY-thing which this much versatility?
I think that’s an unrealistic expectation, to be honest.
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I agree taking on blocks is his weakness. At first that turned me off from him. But I believe I was being to harsh. He is not a finished product. He has the size, length, and physicality to improve in that area. Most prospects have some flaws to their game. The question is do they have the tools to overcome them. I believe he is an ascending player whos sky is the limit.
Absolutely, but for a linebacker we’re talking about taking with the 3-6th picks, do you really want the things he doesn’t excel at to be taking on blocks and filling running lanes? You know, the most linebackery of linebacker skills?
Conversely, if you think (as I do) that lacking those skills makes him a safety for us, do you really want to take a safety with the 3-6th picks? Especially given the contruction of our roster?
Again, I’m not saying he can’t become better at those things, you’d hope that no guy we drafted was already the finished article. But it’s one thing to hope he can handle a transition to a position where he hasn’t had much experience (a la Urlacher to LB), and another thing altogether to hope he can improve at something he’s already proven to be bad at. For me at least, that’s too much to ask of a top 10 pick.
Doesn’t that cut both ways? Young benefited from having a top 10 draft pick (Okudah), a likely top 15 draft pick in ‘21 (Wade) and a top 50 pick (Arnette) blanketing WRs.
How many LB’s that are less than 250lbs can really fill lanes and take-on O-linemen with any kind of effectiveness and consistency?
Ideally, I’d like to see Simmons beef-up to 255lbs-ish, even if it means he’ll lose some speed and can’t play Safety or slot CB or whatever else.
For the record, I’m not totally sold on him. He has an awkward run to him, like he’s stiff from the waist up or something, I haven’t totally figured it out yet. My guess is this is why he didn’t do any of the agility tests at the combine, he’s better in a straight-line.
Actually there’s quite a few. In this draft alone there’s Evan Weaver, Malik Harrison (admittedly he’s close at 247), Logan Wilson, David Woodward, to name a few. Even Davis-Gaither excels at run fills and he’s tiny, but he does so using a preternaturaly gift for avoiding blocks, which means he’s not a fit for us either.
The problem for most of these guys is they don’t have the athletic profiles to work out in coverage. Well, Davis-Gaither does, and Wilson and Harrison might (which is why I’m high on both). But it’s pretty commonplace to find a guy who can take on blocks and fill running lanes, they’re just not always the greatest athletes.
I think if we drafted Simmons we’d have to beef him up and I think he could hold 255 pretty comfortably. The funny thing is, Jamie Collins weighs 255, and he excels in coverage and at blitzing. So basically, you’re drafting a guy to turn into Jamie Collins. Probably one with a higher ceiling, but like Simmons, Collins has always struggled against the run (you want to watch a horror show? Go watch the way the Titans singled him out to attack in their playoff game last year. It’s not pretty). He’s improved enough that he’s not a total liability and maybe we can get that out of Simmons, it’s just not something I’d risk with a top 10 pick.
Maybe that’s why Patricia wants LBs that are 250 lbs. Not saying it’s right, but it’s the hand we are dealt.
An amazing stat for Simmons. Even though he played half of snaps in secondary in 2019 he still had 16.5 tackles for loss to go with 8 sacks.
He’s a generational talent.
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Followed up with
That’s my point …Pick #3 should be plug and play, no guessing , no figuring out, no scheming production…Like you said “We need players not puzzle pieces” 
You can put Simmons at WLB and not have to worry about it.
This team doesn’t need “players”, it needs “playmakers”. This is why I wouldn’t be upset with Simmons but I don’t want anything to do with Brown or Okudah.
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Jabril Peppers was a do it all player and he ended up with 13 TFL his last year at Michigan. Simmons kinda reminds me of a bigger Peppers. Peppers was a terror on the perimeter, totally erased screens and flare passes and runs that stretched the defense. I don’t have the data to back it up, but I expect most of his TFL came that way. His film looked like it anyways. This isn’t a bad thing, however it’s good to put the TFL into perspective. It’s not like he is shedding blockers and shooting gaps to get the defender in the backfield. Both are good, but which is more important in our defense?
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How much do we use the traditional WLB in our defense? 50% of the snaps? Maybe less? We spend a lot of time with only 2 LBs on the field. Is he a nickel specialist in our defense?
That’s exactly what I meant. Players=Playas=Playmakers!
Okudah is a role filler. He might end up a top 10 CB in the league in 3 or 4 years, but so what? We can get a guy like that in free agency or via trade. I mean, Slay just went for a 3rd round pick.
What we can’t do is pick up elite pass rushers, offensive tackles or franchise QBs off the open market, because teams just don’t give them away like they do defensive backs.
Good point!
He’d be great a nickel LB, right?!? I think so.
I thought about the Peppers comparison as well, but Peppers was more of a safety who was put in that Viper position because he wasn’t a good cover guy but was elite as a pursuit guy. Simmons has the bigger body and while Peppers was basically positionless, Simmons is versatile. If that makes sense.
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Spot on . Was he making his own production ? No …TFL & Sacks came because he was schemed into a spot…a spot that often allowed him to be uncovered so he could run in a straight line unblocked …no responsibility a free rusher that luxury will not be often in the NFL.
Instincts are sometimes more important than scheme. Simmons not being overly coached for the last 15 years might be a great thing.
Reminds me of Ziggy a bit. Just a raw talent with a knack of getting to the ball. Problem is, Ziggy was 34 when we drafted him. Who knew?
I mentioned Ziggy earlier. Wasnt a sack artist in college but had all the tools to become one. Same thing with Simmons at lb. Not great at shedding blocks but has the size, length, strength to become good at it. My only real knock on him as a player.
I believe outside of Chase Young each defensive player carries some risk to them.
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