Phin Phanatic
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Miami Dolphins 2020 Draft Profile: Linebacker Isaiah Simmons

By Nick Belotto

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates a defensive stop against the LSU Tigers during the first quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates a defensive stop against the LSU Tigers during the first quarter in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Isaiah Simmons has been rising as a draft prospect throughout the 2020 college football season. Do the Dolphins have a chance at grabbing the talented Clemson linebacker?

Now that the Super Bowl has concluded, all eyes will be facing the 2020 offseason. The Miami Dolphins have already been looking at the spring as a chance to revitalize this roster ad build a consistent winner for years to come. That starts with the draft, and my focus over the past few weeks has been to highlight some of the more promising prospects coming out in 2020 and assess the Dolphin’s chances of getting the player as well as if there is a need to fill. I have already looked at Joe Burrow, Chase Young and Tua Tagovailoa and now it’s time to turn to one of my favorite players in this year’s class, Isaiah Simmons.

Isaiah Simmons, LB Clemson

2019 stats: 67 Tackles, 7 Sacks, 1 FF, 3 INT

Chances for the Dolphins to draft him: Low

If you watched any part of the college football playoff, number 11 on the Clemson Tigers jumped off the screen. I had been impressed with Simmon’s athletic abilities all season, but those last few games really cemented his place in terms of my own draft board.

Simmons is an athletic linebacker who can do a little bit of everything. He has shown success when rushing the passer (something Miami needs to improve) and dropping back into coverage (another thing Miami could work on). In the game against Ohio State, he seemed to be all over the field and showed that he is a playmaker who could help improve just about any defense he plays on. He can do a little bit of everything, which could, in all honesty, be a red flag against him. Plus, did I mention how much Miami could use a pass rusher?

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Being a “jack of all trades” type of player doesn’t necessarily translate to success in the NFL. The most recent example of this is Jabril Peppers, who came out of Michigan in 2017. Peppers hasn’t really developed into a first-round talent kind of guy, mostly because he was a “jack of all trades” but “master of none.” With that being said, there is no guarantee that Simmons will have the same struggles as Peppers. In fact, I don’t think that will happen at all, considering that Simmons’ potential and athletic ability are higher.

Now, it comes down to Miami’s chances of getting him. I marked those odds as low for one reason: Tua. If Miami stays at 5 and doesn’t move up, they should be in a good position to get Simmons. That, however, totally depends on whether or not Tua is on the board at 5. If he is, I don’t see any way that Miami passes on the injury-prone star quarterback for Simmons. If Miami does decide to go with Tua at 5, then Simmons will most definitely not be on the board by the time their second first-round pick comes around.

Simmons is an incredible talent, who I would love to see in a Dolphins uniform. Given the other needs and the way the draft will more than likely fall, the Dolphins will have an issue with getting the talented linebacker out of Clemson.

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