Isaiah Simmons to Play LB over CB or Safety for Cardinals, Vance Joseph Says

Isaiah Simmons was able to play all over the field during his run with Clemson's defense. That won't be the case as he transitions to the NFL.   

Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said the No. 8 overall pick of the 2020 draft will stay at linebacker as the team continues to develop his game. 

Simmons' ability to play multiple positions, along with his athleticism, is part of what made him such a coveted prospect heading into the draft. 

Joseph's comments seem to be at odds with what Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said shortly after selecting Simmons, calling the Clemson product an "eraser" who does it all.

"When you have a guy that's this long, this fast and this productive, you just let him go," Keim said, per Darren Urban of the team's official website.

During his final season as a Tiger, Simmons racked up 104 total tackles—16.5 for loss—with eight sacks, three interceptions, eight pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. 

Joseph certainly believes Simmons is capable of handling multiple positions and assignments on defense. It's just that those opportunities won't be available until the coaching staff learns how they'll best use him.

"With this kid's skill set, he can do a lot of things," he said, per Urban. "Until we touch it, until we game-plan, I can't guarantee where he is going to be. If it's a job that we think he can do, we will put him out there. That's why he was drafted. I want Isaiah to be Isaiah."

Joseph is entering his second year as the Cardinals defensive coordinator after the team ranked last in the NFL with 402 yards allowed per game last season. Arizona's 27.6 points allowed per game were the fifth-most in the league. 

The team hopes Simmons will anchor a turnaround and won't try to overload him as he develops into that role.