{"id":228229,"date":"2025-04-14T15:31:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T19:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=228229"},"modified":"2025-04-14T15:31:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T19:31:15","slug":"mystery-free-agent-visit-sparks-buzz-around-packers-defensive-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/04\/14\/mystery-free-agent-visit-sparks-buzz-around-packers-defensive-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Mystery Free Agent Visit Sparks Buzz Around Packers\u2019 Defensive Plans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Think of a baseball utility player who can pitch, steal bases, and hit home runs\u2014all before the seventh-inning stretch. Now imagine that Swiss Army knife mentality on an NFL defense. The Packers, always hunting for chess pieces, might\u2019ve found their next movable asset. Cue the whispers from Lambeau\u2019s tundra: Something\u2019s brewing, and it\u2019s not just cheese curds. On Monday, NFL Network<\/em>\u2019s Ian Rapoport reported the Packers are hosting free agent young linebacker Isaiah Simmons for a visit.<\/p>\n

At 26, Simmons carries the pedigree of a former No. 8 overall pick (2020) and the intrigue of a player still chasing his NFL breakout. Green Bay\u2019s defense, transitioning under coordinator Jeff Hafley, craves versatility. Simmons? He\u2019s got more roles than a Coen Brothers film.<\/p>\n

Mystery Free Agent Visit Sparks Buzz Around Packers\u2019 Defensive Plans<\/h2>\n

From Clemson Phenom to NFL Nomad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Simmons\u2019s resume reads like a highlight reel stuck on shuffle. At Clemson, he won the 2019 Butkus Award as college football\u2019s top linebacker. The Cardinals drafted him as a hybrid weapon, but Arizona<\/a> traded him to the Giants in 2023 for a seventh-round pick\u2014roughly the value of a used kicking net. Last season, Simmons played just 17% of New York\u2019s defensive snaps but blocked a game-sealing field goal, earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a freak of nature, and he’s blessed for the talents that he’s got,\u201d<\/em> Giants’ cornerback Dru Phillips said. \u201cIn the spring, I was looking at him and thinking, \u2018How is he going to do this?\u2019 He’s just so big, but you see him out there covering guys like (receiver) Wan’Dale Robinson and whatnot. It’s surprising.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Meanwhile, Green Bay<\/a>\u2019s linebacker room lacks star power.<\/p>\n

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#Giants<\/a> free agent LB Isaiah Simmons is visiting the #Packers<\/a> today, source said.<\/p>\n

An intriguing potential addition, Simmons has played for NYG for the past two seasons. A 2020 No. 8 overall pick by the #AZCardinals<\/a>. pic.twitter.com\/5cqn9BqaDa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 14, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And there you have Simmons, a 6\u20194\u201d, 239-pound athlete who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the 2020 Combine. His 1,316 career snaps in the box and 792 in the slot scream flexibility. Hafley\u2019s scheme demands linebackers who can cover, blitz, and diagnose plays. Simmons hasn\u2019t mastered one role, but he\u2019s dabbled in all. \u201cIn our minds, he would be a first-, second-down nickel and then playing money [dime linebacker] on third down,\u201d<\/em> ex-Giants <\/a>coordinator Shane Bowen said on Hard Knocks<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Simmons by the Numbers<\/strong><\/h3>\n