Packers: Would trading up for Isaiah Simmons make sense?

Would it be possible for the Green Bay Packers to trade up for Isaiah Simmons?

Even after signing free-agent Christian Kirksey last month, the Green Bay Packers could still decide to draft an inside linebacker early in the draft.

Two potential prospects who could still be there at No. 30 are Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray and LSU’s Patrick Queen. But one name we haven’t heard linked to the Packers too often is Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, the reason being he’ll likely be long gone by the time the Packers pick.

That is, of course, assuming they don’t trade up.

Dan Parzych of NFL Spin Zone wrote an interesting article about dream trades fans would love to see in the 2020 NFL Draft. One of the trades was Green Bay moving up to select Simmons. It’s highly unlikely to happen, but if Simmons fell far enough it’d be an interesting thought.

So, first of all, how far up would the Packers need to move?

Many mock drafts have Simmons going inside the top-10, which would be very difficult to move to. Some mocks even have him going as high as fourth overall to the New York Giants. If this is the case, the Packers would have to make a trade similar to the one the Atlanta Falcons made in 2011 to move up 21 positions to select Julio Jones.

But let’s just imagine for a moment that Brian Gutekunst found a way to pull off the trade. Would it be worth it to select Simmons?

Well, Simmons is one of the best players in the entire class regardless of position. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah ranked him third in his top 50 and wrote that he “is an extremely versatile, athletic defensive chess piece”.

In his final season at Clemson, Simmons made 104 tackles, seven sacks, eight pass defenses and three interceptions.

Not only does he have the potential to be a star in the NFL, but he can also line up at different positions which would make him a perfect fit in Mike Pettine’s defense. Whether he’s at linebacker or safety, he would be a difference-maker for the Packers.

Simmons will likely be a top-10 pick making it a huge challenge to be able to move up without mortgaging their future, but that’s why Parzych’s article was about “dream” trades. If the Packers didn’t have so many needs across the roster, you could perhaps make a case for taking a risk in a trade-up in attempt to add a superstar to help push for a Super Bowl. But given the needs at other positions, it would be hard to justify such a big trade.

One thing is for sure: Simmons would help take Green Bay’s defense to the next level.