The Detroit Lions have a big decision to make with the third overall pick in the draft. Isaiah Simmons seems to be the better fit over Jeffrey Okudah.
Assuming Ohio State edge rusher, Chase Young, is off the board, I believe it really comes down to either Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons or Buckeye cornerback Jeffrey Okudah with the third overall selection in the this week’s 2020 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions. It may seem like an obvious choice, but it’s not all black and white.
Clearly, the Lions’ defense was atrocious last year, we all know that. Now, what was the root cause of that? That’s a harder puzzle to solve.
Detroit had a bunch of problems on defense, mostly stemming from the defensive line. They had little to no pass rush, and essentially zero penetration in the run game.
The lack of pass rush caused receivers to get open as the defensive backs couldn’t cover forever. It made the secondary look worse than it really was. And having no run defense exposed the linebackers as opposing running backs easily got to the second level, forcing them to make plays that they simply couldn’t make.
So you might be wondering, if the problem comes from the trenches, then why don’t the Lions draft a defensive lineman? Well, they most likely won’t be able to as it’s expected Young will get drafted by Washington with the second pick, one ahead of Detroit.
Auburn’s versatile defensive lineman, Derrick Brown, might not be on the Lions’ radar in the top-five. So that really just leaves Simmons and Okudah as the two realistic options.
In my opinion, the LB/S hybrid in Simmons is the better fit for Detroit rather than Okudah. Some of you are probably jumping out of your seats after reading that take, but just hear me out.
In no way am I saying Okudah isn’t a good player, because he’s extremely talented. I just feel like considering the Lions’ situation, Simmons is a better answer for Detroit’s problems.
With Simmons being a hybrid LB/S, he brings more to the table than the Ohio State cornerback does. The Lions can put him at linebacker for the run game or the pass rush as his speed and quickness makes him a viable blitz option. His experience as a safety can help him in pass coverage whether he’s a linebacker or in a defensive back position.
Being able to move a guy around like that does wonders, especially for a defense like Detroit that has holes everywhere. In this age of the NFL, versatility is being valued more than ever before. We saw a glimpse of that with quarterback Taysom Hill and the New Orleans Saints last season.
Plus, I think a lot of fans are experiencing recency bias with the exit of cornerback Darius Slay. Everyone seems to be forgetting the free agency signing of cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Before getting injured last season, Trufant was just as, if not better than Slay. Obviously, the past is the past, all that matters is what you do in the future. But that’s not to say that at least on paper, the Lions did a good job of filling the hole that Slay left.
The Detroit Lions can’t really go wrong with either guy. Both have their pros and cons as every player does. But when it’s all said and done, Isaiah Simmons is the guy to go with in my opinion.