Reactions pour in after Cardinals nab Isaiah Simmons in NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals got what some might have called a best case scenario.

After quarterbacks went first, fifth and sixth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers took Derrick Brown seventh overall to allow versatile Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons to slide to eighth overall.

Cardinals fans seemed mostly ecstatic.

Arizona, which had issues covering tight ends last season, now gets someone who could have that become their specialty. A graphic from ESPN showed that Simmons took snaps for Clemson at slot corner, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, safety and corner.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Vance Joseph will have an array of options on how to deploy their new first-round pick.

This comes after speculation that Arizona could use the eighth overall pick to take an offensive lineman to protect last year’s top selection, quarterback Kyler Murray.

But the Cardinals re-signing players along that line and knowing that some of Murray’s sacks were his own fault were reason to target Simmons instead.

Current Cardinals weighed in:

LET’S GOOOOOOOO!!!! Welcome to the @AZCardinals @isaiahsimmons25 #BirdGang

— Patrick Peterson /P2 (@P2) April 24, 2020

Letsss gooooo!!! https://t.co/BGs3MsD4I5

— H U M P (@74_hump) April 24, 2020

Isaiah Simmons to AZ!!!! pic.twitter.com/RNjPWZzgdZ

— Corey M. Peters (@CoreyPeters91) April 24, 2020

Welcome to the Red Sea @isaiahsimmons25 🔥 pic.twitter.com/g3OU1Eh7d7

— Kenyan Drake™ (@KDx32) April 24, 2020

Welcome to the squad bro! Can’t wait to get to work!! @isaiahsimmons25

— Jordan Hicks (@JordanHicks) April 24, 2020

Let’s go!!!! https://t.co/076eICVMLk

— Mason Cole (@MasonCole64) April 24, 2020

FS1 commentator Skip Bayless has the Cardinals going to the playoffs:

WAY TO GO, ZONA. Forget the offense for a moment. Kyler's got that. Take the most all-around dominating defender in the draft. I think Isaiah Simmons will have a little more impact than Chase Young. He's everywhere. Ran 4.39. Can rush the passer. Plays w edge. Cards: playoffs.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 24, 2020

Here’s what others had to say about the Cardinals’ big selection:

“Hey Isaiah Simmons, what position do you play?"

Isaiah Simmons: pic.twitter.com/XJBdWaysCu

— Not Payton (@PaymannHaverton) April 24, 2020

i am so sorry for slandering you steve keim

— ok (@thefakebuggy) April 24, 2020

pic.twitter.com/cGrkQSbs0k

— Branden Marotta (@brmarotta_) April 24, 2020

pic.twitter.com/l2TDIAA2Oo

— Sam Gregory (@samtheg13) April 24, 2020

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