Isaiah Simmons traded to the New York Giants from the Arizona Cardinals for a seventh-round pick

Former first round pick Isaiah Simmons has been traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the New York Giants in exchange for a seventh round pick.

Simmons – the eighth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft – struggled to carve out a role for himself in the desert, but still proved to be an incredibly talented player.

Now, with just a few weeks left until the season begins, the Arizona linebacker/defensive back hybrid heads to the Big Apple on a downright criminal discount to join a Giants team that finished sixth in the league for passing the defense.

It’s not clear whether or not Simmons will play at linebacker or safety — two positions where the Giants could use some upgrades.

He will compete for safety with fellow 2020 classmate Xavier McKinney and third-year Jason Pinnock — or with Bobby Okereke and Darrian Beavers as an inside linebacker.

Simmons was a star at Clemson, winning a national title and garnering awards and accolades

Simmons is a versatile athlete capable of defending safety or inside linebacker

Simmons is a fourth-year veteran bred from Clemson who rose as high as he did thanks to his positional versatility and erratic athleticism.

In college, he won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2019 — a year in which he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-American.

He was also part of the 2018 national championship-winning team that defeated Alabama 44-16.

He ran a 4.39-second sprint for 40 yards at the NFL Combine and showed his strength by doing 20 reps of a 225-pound bench press.

Simmons was a member of the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2020 after totaling 54 tackles, including 43 solo tackles, two sacks and one interception.

His career totals to date include a total of 258 tackles, 181 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks and four interceptions in just 50 NFL games.

The Giants and the Cardinals meet in Week 2 of this season in Arizona.