Former First-Round Pick Generating Buzz at Packers Training Camp

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Josh Jacobs called him a “unicorn.” Xavier McKinney urged the team to sign his former teammate.

Through two days of Green Bay Packers training camp, linebacker Isaiah Simmons has been one of the most impactful players on the practice field.

“I’m not upset,” Simmons said of his start to camp.

The eighth pick of the 2020 draft, the Packers signed Simmons off the bargain rack in free agency. After a couple splash plays to open training camp on Wednesday, he was back at it again on Thursday, highlighted by a pass breakup that was intercepted by Carrington Valentine on the first play of a 2-minute drill.

“He’s a talented player,” McKinney said. “You’ve seen that since he’s been in college. I played with him in New York, and I know what he can do, I know what he’s capable of. Even before we signed him, I was talking to them about him and I’m like, ‘He can add value to our team.’

“You can put him anywhere on the field and he can be productive. That’s the good thing about him is he’s versatile. You don’t really see backers like him with his size, his length that can run, that can cover, that can tackle – can really do all those things and be productive. He’s going to be a big part of our defense and he’s going to help us a lot.”

Simmons can line up anywhere – that’s what he did for the Cardinals to start his career and the Giants the past two seasons – but he’s thankful for Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley letting him focus on linebacker.

“I feel like it’s been beneficial to me so far,” Simmons said, “just allowing me to really learn one thing opposed to learning this today, something else tomorrow and who knows the next day. I’m really appreciative of that.”

One of Simmons’ noteworthy plays on Wednesday was beating a blocker and ruining a screen to Jacobs.

“First, he can run. He can run. He’s kind of a unicorn at that position,” Jacobs said. “We can put him out on guys in the slot, he can cover guys. Really, I just can’t wait to see him in pads. I want to see how physical he is. I’ve played against him a couple times so I know what kind of player he is, but it’s different when you see it on a day-to-day basis.”

Simmons arrived in Green Bay with elite traits, boasting the size of a linebacker and the athleticism of a defensive back. When he talked to reporters during minicamp, he called his versatility “a little bit of a gift and a curse.” Through five seasons, he’s played extensively at linebacker and slot as well as safety and even edge.

Being locked in at one position has allowed him to get comfortable with his role and play faster, Jacobs said.

“I still feel like I’m not really going how I can get,” Simmons said. “I feel like that’s going to come with me getting more comfortable with this playbook and the new position. I think a lot of that will come with reps and it will come over time with me just being more familiar with how guys around me play, as well as me grasping the concepts of Haf’s defense.”

What can Simmons do when he’s fully immersed in the defense and able to turn it loose?

“I mean, sh(oot), we’re going to see,” he said.

It’s not as if Simmons was a draft bust. In fact, he has been productive. Of the 2020 draft class, he and Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield are the only players with least 300 tackles, eight sacks, 15 tackles for losses, five interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

With Simmons’ unique skill-set and Hafley’s creativity, there is hope Simmons can help Green Bay’s already-strong defense take the next step.

“There’s a reason he was a top-10 pick,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “He’s got all the measurables, and it’s just getting him acclimated with our system and knowing what he can do and try to put him in some advantageous positions where he can really showcase his talent.”

For his part, Simmons sees a defense with “no missing pieces to the puzzle.” Rather than being asked to make a difference at various positions – to replace multiple missing pieces – he is eager to contribute in a role that can be tailored to his immense skills.

“I’m just going to be myself, man,” he said. “I’m not really here to show anything to anybody else, prove any points to anybody. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m just here to be myself and help the team out.”

“Personally,” he added, “I feel like I’m a guy who can be a top guy in this league, so my mind will never change with that. At this point, I feel like the sky’s the limit and I’ve got nothing to do but grow.”

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