Redskins outcome probabilities at No. 2 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
No. 5 – Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons
Probability: 0.95 percent
This is a fun match. It’s not the most cost-effective, as this undoubtedly means that the Redskins pass up another transcendent defender. But Simmons is a prospect with a lot of potential, and he comes at a position that opens up even more possibilities for Rivera.
Simmons had a very active National Championship game against the LSU Tigers, and while his Clemson Tigers ultimately lost, Simmons’ upside was on full display, perhaps more than almost any other game this year. Simmons has incredibly explosive athleticism to pair with a very lengthy 6-foot-4, 230-pound frame, and he has the ability to assume countless positions on all three levels of the defense, from edge rusher, to the mike, to nickel defender.
Simmons’ percentage would honestly be higher if he had declared yet, but so far, the redshirt junior is still undecided. The deadline to declare is approaching, and were he to declare this year, he’d likely be a top ten pick. So it’s likely, but it hasn’t happened yet.
If he declares, there’s no doubt Ron Rivera and Company will at the very least consider his upside as a prospect. Simmons is smart, explosive, and overflowing with potential, and while he doesn’t quite have the corresponding polish that makes Chase Young such a dominant prospect, Simmons possesses a very rare degree of versatility, one which could grab the hearts of creative defensive minds like Rivera and Jack Del Rio.