Former Cardinals 1st-round pick blames team for misusing him

Simmons on how the Cardinals misused him:

“I think really what I ran into most of my career is everybody wants me to do everything as opposed to letting me get really good at one thing first. I fully believe in [Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley]’s plan. He’s letting me just lock in and learn a small portion first before we even think about expanding to anything else. That’s something I really appreciate because I never really had that opportunity to really just hone in on one position. It’s hard enough to get into the NFL let alone stay, as well as be effective at a position, so just being able to lock in on one thing and do that 1/11 every day, I mean that’s been – I feel like – huge for me.”

When Simmons was coming out in the 2020 NFL draft, he was viewed as a five-tool player on the defensive side of the ball. Many NFL scouts believed he could play at linebacker, safety, edge rusher and more. Cardinals selected him eighth overall, which many believed was a steal at the time.

However, Arizona took a while to accustom Simmons to the defense, only starting seven games his rookie season. The former Clemson Tiger would start 30 games the following two seasons but couldn’t live up to his pre-draft hype. In his three seasons in the Valley, Simmons recorded four interceptions, 11 pass deflections, 7.5 sacks and 258 tackles.

Simmons had his fifth-year option declined by Arizona and then was traded to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick. The 26-year-old continued his struggle in the Big Apple, only starting five games in two seasons. Simmons will have a fresh start with the Packers to start next season and will have another opportunity to live up to his draft expectations.