Clemson football LB Isaiah Simmons is expected to go inside the top-10 of the NFL Draft later this spring and he could be staying close to home.
Isaiah Simmons set the CFB world on fire during his final season with the Clemson football program.
Simmons was the most versatile defender in the nation, taking snaps lined up at linebacker, safety and even along the defensive line.
He proved that he could be a valued run-stopper and pass-defender over the course of this season and that’s what has NFL teams absolutely drooling over the opportunity of adding him to their roster.
One franchise that is particularly interested in adding Simmons would keep him pretty close to the Clemson football program. The Carolina Panthers are reportedly interested in filling a need on their defense.
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso recently mocked Simmons to the Panthers and, honestly, the move would make a lot of sense.
The Panthers are going to be in need of a versatile, physical force on their defense with the retirement announcement of LB Luke Kuechly.
The Panthers are slated to select with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Carolina will certainly be looking to add to its defense and Simmons would be the perfect fit.
The only downside for the Panthers, though, is the fact that Simmons may not be there by the No. 7 overall pick. The Detroit Lions (No. 3), New York Giants (No. 4) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 6) have all shown interest in Simmons, though it would seem now that the Chargers would go quarterback after parting ways with Philip Rivers.
It will be interesting to see how Simmons performs in the NFL Combine and how his performance ups his draft stock as we head into the spring. At this point, I’d expect the Panthers to be the last team to miss out on him should he drop that low, but other mock drafts have Simmons falling as low as No. 11, depending on who you go by.