Josh Simmons could give the Arizona Cardinals the much needed young tackle opposite PJJ.
Happy Wednesday evening one and all.
We are more than halfway through the prospects that could be first round options for the Arizona Cardinals and today is a personal favorite of mine.
Josh Simmons is a big, athletic tackle, who has had great success at both right tackle and left tackle in the Big 10 and was part of a dominant offense in back-to-back seasons at The Ohio State, before a knee injury (patella?) ended his final season.
Now, he is the player that I look at and see the fit the most with everything the Cardinals have done in free agency, but is the knee going to be right?
From PFF:
Before his injury, he displayed high-level NFL traits. He isn’t the biggest or longest tackle, but he makes up for it with elite flexibility. He can get very low pre-snap and impressively maintains that pad level while moving in a loaded and squatted position to maximize power at punch and neutralize bull rushes. The 22-year-old has quick, precise hands, always looking to get inside leverage. His footwork is balanced, and his core strength is excellent for maintaining blocks while twisting and turning. He lacks some strength to displace defenders in the run game, but he has enough to counter rushes.
Simmons is a specimen and fun to watch on the field with his elite movement skills and his work in both the run and pass game.
The question becomes… the knee.
When you are so good because of your movement skills, and being a 6-5 317lbs giant, if the knee is something you have any hesitation about, you cannot pull the trigger.