Giants re-sign versatile Isaiah Simmons | Where will he fit in Shane Bowen’s defense?

The Giants have re-signed versatile inside linebacker Isaiah Simmons.

So where will he fit in new defensive coordinator Shane Bowen’s scheme?

Simmons — the eighth overall draft pick in 2020, by the Cardinals — was traded to the Giants by Arizona in late August for a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft. He turns 26 in July.

Last year’s Giants defensive coordinator, Wink Martindale, used Simmons sparingly. He played in all 17 games, with four starts, but got just 33% of the defensive snaps — plus 49% on special teams.

Yet in limited action, Simmons performed fairly well, at least according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics. He had a 68.9 overall grade, including 82.7 in coverage. Of his 378 total defensive snaps, 203 came in coverage. So he did well in his primary role, albeit with a limited sample size.

Simmons was used mostly as an inside linebacker, playing in the box, where he got 166 snaps. He did get 137 snaps as an outside linebacker, though. He even got 65 snaps at slot cornerback. His athleticism and coverage skills make him an intriguing piece for Bowen.

Simmons is a rangy player, at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds. And though he probably won’t start at inside linebacker for Bowen, his versatility could let him play some sort of role. (Micah McFadden likely will start at the inside linebacker spot next to Bobby Okereke for a second straight year.)

In his final year with the Cardinals, Simmons played 110 snaps at outside linebacker, 297 in the box (mostly at inside linebacker), and 409 at slot corner. So versatility is nothing new for him.

Most of his total career snaps (55% of them) have come in coverage. His previous career best coverage grades before 2023 came in 2020 and 2022 (69.9 both seasons).

Darryl Slater may be reached at [email protected].