Isaiah Simmons often has been referred to as a Swiss Army knife, which some would suggest is a nice way of saying he hasn’t fully established himself at any one defensive position during his four-year NFL career.
The Giants acquired the versatile former top-10 pick of the Cardinals just before the start of last season, and they mostly used him as a roving linebacker after he’d spent his time in Arizona primarily as a defensive back, mostly as a safety.
On the first day of training camp Wednesday, however, the 25-year-old Simmons worked with the cornerbacks during position drills and often lined up in the slot during 11-on-11 scrimmaging.
“I’ve worked with the DBs before, but normally I’m with the safeties when I work with the DBs,” Simmons said after practice. “When you think about it, the nickel position is a mixture of both, but it is a little more corner-oriented.
“I don’t know, it’s weird, it’s a little different. But I think technique-wise it makes more sense to work with the corners as opposed to the safeties. … I’m sure there’ll be times I bounce around the different groups because of all the different things I end up doing. But I enjoy it.”
Simmons said he played in some coverages at Clemson in the slot, “leading to where I got drafted” with the No. 8 overall pick in 2020. He also spent 409 of his 897 defensive snaps in 2022 lined up in that spot, compared to just 65 of 602 in 17 games (four starts) last year with the Giants.
The Giants have switched defensive coordinators this season from Wink Martindale to Shane Bowen, and Simmons said he was immediately open to another position switch.
“I feel like we met in the same place on that,” Simmons said. “So I appreciate Shane allowing me to get back to the position that ultimately got me to where I was [drafted].
“If you look back at my career, you can look back to my third season and that’s the best season I ever had, and that’s what I played, was nickel. I had tons of production.”
Simmons registered career highs with two interceptions, four sacks and two forced fumbles in 2022 with Arizona.
He believes Bowen’s defensive scheme is “similar” to that of Vance Joseph, his former coordinator with the Cardinals.
“I feel comfortable in that defense,” said Simmons, who re-upped with the Giants on a one-year, $2 million contract. “I feel like I can bring value to any defense, no matter what the scheme is. But specifically this one, I just feel like it’s very fitting for me.”
With Cor’Dale Flott shifted from the slot to an outside corner spot, Simmons could compete for playing time in camp with free-agent signing Tre Herndon.
Simmons, who is over the calf strain he dealt with during spring minicamp, added he likes the idea of leaving the Swiss Army knife in the drawer and taking on a more consistent role within the defense.
“I think it does give me more consistency and really settle in and be who I am,” Simmons said. “It allows me to master something first, and then get to do the other things. It allows me to focus in and do what I have to do.”
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