2020 NFL Mock Draft: Pre-Combine mock with Redskins trading down

Once again, this pick came down to two defensive players. This time, it was Isaiah Simmons and Derrick Brown. But Simmons ever so slightly edged Brown here for one major reason.

The retirement of Luke Kuechly is going to have a devastating effect on the Panthers defense. Kuechly was the heart and soul of that group, and he was a lot of fun to watch during his playing days. He’s definitely one of the best linebackers I’ve ever seen play, and without his instinctive tackling ability and elite coverage skills, the Panthers are going to struggle on defense.

But one way they could struggle less would be by selecting Simmons. The Clemson product is one of the most versatile players in the draft and would be an ideal fit for the Panthers 3-4 defense (though coordinator Phil Snow has said that they will be multiple this year, meaning they’ll run plenty of 4-3 concepts). Simmons will replace Kuechly as a linebacker but could also log snaps at safety and on the edge as the Panthers use him as a matchup nightmare-type defensive weapon.

The Panthers already have a linebacker/safety hybrid in Shaq Thompson. He mostly plays linebacker now, but pairing him and Simmons could create a really versatile middle linebacker duo and at the very least, help offset the loss of Kuechly. The team still has a solid defensive line and while they’ll need to replace Gerald McCoy, there will be ample opportunities to do that later.

I expect Simmons to do really well at the combine and show off his versatile skill set. And his production during his final collegiate season (104 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three interceptions, and nine pass defenses) is the stuff of dreams. He’ll help to revitalize the Carolina defense and that will at least give them a shot to be more competitive than they were the final four games of the 2019 campaign.