Former Giants Linebacker Signs With Packers

The 2025 NFL Draft just passed, so let’s give a quick scouting lesson before fans hit the tape out of excitement for next year’s class. If a guy can seemingly play two positions, there’s a chance he’s a ‘tweener, rather than a two-spot contributor.

Linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons took over the scouting world in 2020 thanks to his high-level athleticism and versatility. Big enough to play in the box and fast enough to flash in coverage, Simmons looked like a next-generation hybrid defender–until he didn’t.

Simmons’ change of direction skills didn’t match the rest of his athletic profile, hurting him in two coverage roles, and at 238 pounds, he didn’t stick full-time as a linebacker, either. The result was some fun highlights and a list of defensive coordinators who thought they could weaponize the first-round pick.

In 2023, Wink Martindale presided over the New York Giants and saw Simmons have real success in a part-time role. His falling out with head coach Brian Daboll landed him another chance in New York, this time under Shane Bowen.

Bowen publicly had a plan for Simmons – slot corner on early downs, linebacker on passing downs. He wound up playing 181 defensive snaps in a healthy season, with little success and even less production.

Subsequently, it was no surprise when he hit free agency after the 2024 campaign. On Monday, the former Giants linebacker signed with the Green Bay Packers after the NFL Draft, according to Jordan Schultz.

Simmons will pair with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and join a Packers back seven that could use some reinforcement.

It isn’t immediately clear where Simmons will play for Green Bay, but his main contribution will likely come on special teams. That’s where he found most of his success in 2024; he blocked the Seattle Seahawks’ potential game-winning field goal to give New York a win in Week 5 – the Giants’ last win before their 10-game losing streak.

New York’s free agency strategy focused around depth defenders with special teams versatility, particularly at the linebacker position, filling an absence the team certainly saw coming.