Isaiah Simmons and the Detroit Lions are aware of this: Prior to the conclusion of the NFL combine, which took place late last month, there is always one major prospect who skyrockets up draft boards because of his freak speed and athleticism.

That prospect this season was Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who  was mostly seen as a mid-first round selection until he showed the world that he may not actually be human.

 

What makes Simmons a valuable defender is his versatility all over the field.

As a junior, Simmons played 299 snaps at inside linebacker, 262 at slot cornerback, 116 at outside linebacker, 132 at free safety, and 100 at strong safety. Much like Tyrann Mathieu's role with the Kansas City Chiefs, Simmons is a swiss army knife who can be adjusted to opponents' weaknesses.

That speed at that size put NFL scouts on notice, and with his elite athleticism at talents in pass coverage, Simmons is being regarded as a bigger Darius Leonard who can transform an entire defense.

The Detroit Lions could use more than a transformation with their mediocre defensive unit, especially after releasing Damon “Snacks” Harrison and Darius Slay testing the open market.

The Lions' defense will take all the athletes they can get at this point, and even though Simmons may not perfectly fit into head coach Matt Patricia's defensive scheme, Logan Lamorandier of Sports Illustrated loves the potential Simmons can bring to Detroit.

Simmons does his best work in space and isn't a stout thumper like the Patricia prototype. The Lions would likely have to play Simmons a lot in the sub-package hang defender role and need to figure out a way to keep him on the field at all times — otherwise, you can't justify the selection so high.

Lamorandier isn't the only draft analyst who has fallen in love with the Lions at No. 3, as many writers at The Athletic agree. Jared Dubin of CBS Sports also loves drafting Simmons for upside before plugging holes in the defense with the rest of the draft.

Simmons' meteoric rise of draft boards has brought up the classic draft debate amongst Lions' fans: need vs. best available.

As enticing as it would be for the Lions to draft Simmons, their outside linebacking core is not a glaring weakness.

While they do need pass rushing help after being one of the worst teams in the league in that category, after Jahlani Tavai's performance this season, it wouldn't crazy for the Lions to make him the designated playcaller on the defense while moving Jarrad Davis to the outside with Devon Kennard.

If the Lions lose Slay, which at this point is as predictable as a coin flip, they will have a glaring need in the secondary that they could easily address by drafting Jeffery Okudah at No. 3. He may not be as flashy as Simmons, but he can plugged into Detroit's defense and start developing into a No. 1 corner on Day 1 of OTAs.

Bob Quinn and co. need to figure out what to do with Slay before they decide whether they prioritize need or the upside of the best available player in this year's draft.

If they lose Slay, acquiring Okudah should be a No. 1 draft priority. If the Lions manage to hold onto Slay, Simmons' upside may be enough for Quinn to pull the trigger.