Simmons is both, and he should be an early favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s not a safety, and he’s not a linebacker. Simmons gives the Cardinals a versatile defender who can play multiple spots. Isaiah Simmons slipped to the Cardinals with the eighth pick in the draft, and he turned out to be too good to pass on. And let’s be honest, all teams draft for need to an extent. Not addressing a need in the draft knocks a grade slightly. No team gets dinged for a Day 3 pick, but their grade can improve slightly for a good one. After that, filling needs and personnel fit are considered. It’s much less about player quality and more where they’re drafted. These way-too-early grades below are based on a combination of factors, starting with player value. No team had more of a head-scratching draft than the Green Bay Packers. There were several surprise picks in the back of the first round and a bunch of trades on the second and third days of the draft.Īt first glance, no teams had better drafts than the Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While teams made picks from their homes, the draft started as we expected with Joe Burrow and Chase Young leading the way. In what was a unique 2020 NFL Draft, things turned out to be mostly normal.
