The New York Giants’ secondary is a youthful group. Bringing in Jalen Mills added some experience to their ranks, but defensive coordinator Shane Bowen has another idea.
As we discovered early in Hard Knocks, Bowen is giving linebacker Isaiah Simmons an expanded role.
Before joining the Giants in 2023, Simmons played under Vance Joseph in Arizona. The role Bowen has in mind for Simmons is similar to what Joseph did in 2021, and the veteran responded well to the task recording 105 tackles, one interception, four forced fumbles, and 1.5 sacks that season.
“I think it does give me more consistency,” Simmons said of his new role for Bowen, via Sports Illustrated. “Allows me to settle in and. . . just allows me to master something first and then get into doing other things because I played nickel, and it’s not like I changed positions within different things we were doing.”
Previously, Simmons lined up at the nickel spot, which has helped him be more comfortable in his new role.
“Everything was always me at the nickel spot. It was just based on the call — it could be a different alignment or a different responsibility. So I think this makes me a lot more comfortable with that just because it could allow me to do the exact same thing — allows me to just really focus in, get set, and then focus on what I have to do,” he said.
Simmons will add more experience to the secondary, and his perspective will be valuable in weekly preparations.
However, don’t expect Simmons to be limited. He’ll see time at safety, nickel, and linebacker throughout the season. Bowen fully intends to tap into that versatility.