Is Isaiah Simmons a linebacker? A safety? Does it matter? How the LB position is changing in the NFL.

(Ben Fennell is an Emmy Award-winning producer, editor and researcher across several media platforms, including the NFL Network and ESPN College Football. He worked with Mike Mayock on the NFL Network’s draft coverage for five years, and has worked the last two years with Daniel Jeremiah. You can follow him on Twitter at @benfennell_NFL. For the second straight year, Ben is breaking down each position in the draft for the Inquirer. Today, in part 6 of our eight-part series, he looks at the draft’s linebackers.)

In case you haven’t noticed, the linebacker position in the NFL is undergoing a major metamorphosis.

Actually, calling it a metamorphosis is being kind. It’s more of a de-emphasis.

With offenses more focused than ever on the pass and getting the ball on the perimeter to fast people in space, and 260-pound tight ends with sub-4.7 speed becoming the norm rather than the exception, defensive coordinators have had to turn to more defensive back-heavy sub-packages and a different type of athlete at linebacker.

The Eagles actually were ahead of the curve three years ago when they drafted Nate Gerry, a 6-2, 218-pound safety out of Nebraska, in the fifth round and moved him to linebacker. Gerry started 12 games for them last year and played 632 snaps.

“That’s where the NFL is going," NFL Network draft analyst Ben Fennell said. “Having those smaller linebackers that look like safeties that can run sideline to sideline and cover for you.

“If you have a guy that’s athletically limited, he’s going to be attacked. So you need to avoid having those kind of guys on the field. Not having those liabilities on defense now is the name of the game.’’

The best of the linebacker lot this year is Isaiah Simmons, a 6-4, 238-pound athletic freak out of Clemson who ran a 4.39 forty at the scouting combine in February. He was listed as a linebacker/safety in college, but pretty much lined up all over the field and did just about everything.

“The game is evolving," Simmons told reporters at the combine. “The name of the game now is stopping tight ends. Something has to be done to stop people like Travis Kelce and George Kittle."

Other bigger college safeties besides Simmons are starting to sneak into the linebacker conversation. Many teams have Jeremy Chinn, a 6-3, 221-pound safety out of Southern Illinois, listed as a linebacker on their draft boards. The same with Michigan’s Khaleke Hudson.

The 5-11, 224-pound Hudson was considered a safety in college but played his entire career up in the box.

The lack of depth at linebacker this year is another reason more safeties than ever are sneaking into the linebacker conversation. After Simmons, Fennell’s top-rated linebackers in this year’s group are Kenneth Murray (Oklahoma) and Patrick Queen (LSU). Both are projected as late-first- or early-second-round picks.

In their latest mock drafts, Fennell’s NFL Network colleague Daniel Jeremiah has the Eagles taking Murray with the 21st overall pick. ESPN’s Todd McShay has them taking Queen.

Given the wealth of wide receivers in this draft and the Eagles’ need for one, the thought of them picking a linebacker in the first round might sound ludicrous. But it’s an indication of the difference-making potential of versatile players like Simmons and Murray and Queen.

“If you need athleticism in the mid-rounds, there is Troy Dye (Oregon) and Akeem Davis-Gaither (Appalachian State) and Willie Gay," Fennell said. “Gay ran 4.4. So there are several exciting, for lack of a better description, safeties that can play in the box for you in this draft."

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson, 6-4, 238, 4.39

Kenneth Murray, OU, 6-2, 241, 4.52

Patrick Queen, LSU, 6-0, 229, 4.5

Malik Harrison, Ohio State, 6-3, 247, 4.66

Willie Gay Jr., Mississippi State, 6-1, 243, 4.46

Isaiah Simmons

Clemson

6-4, 238

Arms: 33 3/8 inches

Hands: 9 5/8 inches

40 time: 4.39 seconds

VJ: 39 inches

225 bench: N/A

Fennell’s take: “Simmons played all over the defense, from a nickel SAM player to an edge hang defender to an off-ball LB. He’s a middle-hole player. He’s a deep free safety. He can spy a quarterback. He can be a rangy player for you. He’s a sideline-to-sideline player. He can match up against tight ends and slot receivers. He is literally everything you want from a middle-of-the-field defender in 2020 in the NFL. Incredibly productive in a variety of different ways.

“Whoever drafts him likely will use him as a positionless player. I don’t think you’d use him as a traditional off-ball linebacker. He didn’t do a ton of that at Clemson. He didn’t have to take on blocks from interior offensive linemen a whole lot. He’s kind of the New Age nickel. The big safety. You’re not looking for a small corner anymore at nickel. You’re looking for an athletic linebacker or an oversized safety that can run and cover and blitz and be a run contributor. I see him being like your fifth defensive back, except he’s going to look like a linebacker at 6-4 and 238.

“He’s got the length and the wingspan. He’s really well-suited for the variety of coverages against slot receivers and tight ends. He’s got really long arms. He’s so disruptive. The RPO game, you can’t throw around this guy. He’s like Spiderman. He’ll make interceptions on the back end too, like he did against Ohio State.

“The one knock on Simmons, people are saying he’s not like Kam Chancellor. He’s not like Derwin James. He’s not like Sean Taylor. Those three guys are/were killers. He’s not that type of presence. He’s not going to knock your head off and be a tone-setter of your defense. He’ll be much more like a Malcolm Jenkins type of player than a brutal knock-your-head-off kind of guy."

Round projection: 1, top 10

Willie Gay Jr.

Mississippi State

6-1, 243

Arms: 32 5/8 inches

Hands: 10 ½ inches

40 time: 4.46 seconds

VJ: 39 ½ inches

225 bench: 21 reps

Fennell’s take: “This guy is a workout freak. He was really impressive at the combine running and jumping. Just like the Terrell Lewis conversation, he only has played 846 snaps in his career. He played just 177 this past year and wasn’t hurt. So that’s a huge red flag. You played 177 snaps in a year and you weren’t hurt. So what does that mean? Well, you were suspended the first three games of the season for a violation of team rules. He also got caught in some academic fraud. His first game back he got two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and was ejected. Two games before their bowl game, he got in a fight with the backup quarterback and broke his orbital bone. So there are some issues there.

“But when he’s on the field, he’s a really good player. He’s athletic. He’s explosive. He reminds me of Zach Brown when he came out of North Carolina. Thick frame. Can go sideline to sideline. Great play strength. Can get off blocks and run around them. Great blitzer. He’s able to run through all of the trash and navigate his way to the quarterback.

“He had a huge game against Alabama in 2018. He had two sacks on Tua, plus an interception, plus big hits on Josh Jacobs. In their 2018 bowl game against Iowa, he actually played a little more SAM linebacker off the line of scrimmage. He had some really good battles against (tight end) T.J. Hochenson. He had a good bowl game this year against Louisville. Showed a little more start-stop (ability) and change of direction. He forced a fumble on a player walking into the end zone. So he’s a guy, when you watch him on the field, he’s a productive player, an explosive player, an athletic player. He just hasn’t been on the field a whole lot.

“I thought he turned some heads at the combine with his workouts. Now you’re digging into him and his stock has kind of gone through the roof."

Round projection: 3-4

Akeem Davis-Gaither

Appalachian State

6-1, 219

Arms: 31 1/8 inches

Hands: 9 ½ inches

40 time: N/A

VJ: N/A

225 Bench: 21

Fennell’s take: “He was a really, really athletic player for App State. He played a lot of that nickel position SAM linebacker where you’re not really a linebacker and you’re not really a safety. You’re kind of out there halfway in space.

“Coming out of high school, he was a 5-10, 170 pound safety prospect. This past year, he was the Sunbelt Conference defensive player of the year. He put on a lot of weight and grew 3 ½ inches. He’s really good out in space. He can cover tight ends and slots. He’s a good leverage defender. Knows how to play to his help. He can get around blocks. He can play sideline to sideline. He can run with tight ends vertically. He’s a little small in the box, but he’s fearless. And that will get you on the field and keep you on the field. He throws his body around.’’

“I don’t see a lot of value with him as a pass-rusher. But he’s a guy who can turn and run in coverage. Played a lot of good football against bigger programs. Had a good game against South Carolina this year. Played well v. Miami in 2016. He’s been on the field a whole lot for them and has been productive and is very athletic.

“Guys his size are kind of the way WILLs are going in today’s NFL. I don’t think he’s as exciting as Telvin Smith, who came out of Florida State 5-6 years ago. But he could be that type of player. Smith has started something like 70 games for Jacksonville."

Round projection: 5-6