Packers add rare combination of size and speed in former top-10 draft pick (2025)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two weeks to the day of his initial visit with the team, the Green Bay Packers are signing do-it-all linebacker Isaiah Simmons to a one-year deal.

Simmons, a 6'4" and 238-pound athletic powerhouse of a specimen, is a former No. 8 overall draft pick who has yet to miss a single game in his five-year career.After a remarkably productive three-year stint at Clemson—he redshirted his freshman season before tallying9.5 sacks, 237 tackles, 29 tackles for a loss, four interceptions and six forced fumbles over the next three years—Simmons entered the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine and positioned himself as one of the top prospects of his class.

With a 4.39 40-yard dash, the Arizona Cardinals made Simmons a top-10 pick. In the league, however, Simmons has yet to truly find a home—not just with a franchise, but at a particular position. At the collegiate circuit, Simmons was a safety who converted into a linebacker. The same can be said in his professional career, too, as he's served as a Swiss Army knife of sorts. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old Simmons has yet to live up to the expectations of such a premium draft pick; he's still position-lessand it's unclear just where exactly he'll fit in the Packers' defense.

That isn't to say defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and his staff won't be able to figure it out, though.

Following this past weekend's draft, the Packers didn't bring aboard any new linebackers. The newest addition to that room is Kristian Welch, who returned to the Packers earlier his month after being cut by the team last summer. He joins Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty'Ron Hopper and Jamon Dumas-Johnson, who signed as an undrafted free agent on Saturday.

Simmons spent three years with the Cardinals before being traded to the New York Giants. A change of scenery didn't do much to rejuvenate a productive, yet, floundering career—Simmons started just five games in two seasons.After playing 378 defensive snaps for the Giants in his first season with the team, he played less than half of that (181) in 2024 as he saw his role diminished almost exclusively to special teams. Simmons played on back-to-back one-year deals with the Giants before he was allowed to enter unrestricted free agency last month.

For his career, Simmons has played just north of 1,900 defensive snaps in the front seven—whether aligned in the box or along the defensive line—and 796 in the slot. If the Packers decide to utilize him, he certainly has the speed and the traits necessary to do two things: rush the passer and cover tight ends. The latter is extremely important—the rest of the NFC North is stacked at the tight end position. The Chicago Bears just spent the No. 10 overall pick on Michigan’s Colston Loveland to pair with Cole Kmet, the Minnesota Vikings have T.J. Hockenson and the Detroit Lions have Sam LaPorta.

Whether or not he even makes the Packers' 53-man roster after training camp remains to be seen, but general manager Brian Gutekunst has made it no secret that he wants to infuse competition at just about every level of his roster.

It's entirely possible that this stint in Green Bay is similar to what his time in New York had become, and that's purely as a special teams ace. The Packers are only able to field so many bodies on defense, so Simmons' inclusion will have to be package-specific.Perhaps that's where he's best—the highlight of Simmons'2024 campaign was on special teams, after all. When the Giants were on the road in Seattle for a game against the Seahawks, Simmons successfully blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt that would've tied the game at 23 in the waning seconds. Instead, wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton scooped the ball up and returned it 60 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering the Green Bay Packers. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com