TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals already have decided how they're going to use rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons, but that doesn't mean he'll be tied down to one position.
Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said Simmons, who was selected with the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday, will be primarily a linebacker in the Cardinals' 3-4 scheme, but he'll be used in a variety of other roles -- including potentially playing nickel or dime corner or strong safety -- on an as-needed basis for a play here or there.
"His skill set is out of this world," Joseph said during a video conference call Tuesday. "He's a guy that can solve problems for us, and with his speed and length, he can be an eraser when bad plays happen. The more speed you have, the more guys who can erase bad plays for you on Sundays, it's always important pieces."
Simmons, who is almost 6-foot-4 and nearly 240 pounds, ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.
Last season at Clemson, Simmons played 286 snaps at slot corner, 218 at safety, 160 at outside linebacker, 120 at inside linebacker and 17 on the perimeter, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
"I can't guarantee he's going play corner for us or play safety for us full time," Joseph said. "But I think what he did at Clemson, some of it would translate and some of it won't."
The times that Simmons could potentially line up as a corner or safety likely will be when he's assigned to cover tight ends. Using the San Francisco 49ers as an example, Joseph said Simmons could be called on to play corner or in the secondary to defend Niners tight end George Kittle.
The Cardinals allowed a league-high 1,173 receiving yards, 8.9 yards per target and 16 touchdowns to opposing tight ends last season. According to Elias research, only the 2013 Cardinals allowed more touchdowns from tight ends in a single season (17) in NFL history.
"We can have a package there where he can walk down over Kittle and then be a strong safety, so with this kid's skill set, he can do a lot of things," Joseph said. "But until we touch him, until we game plan, I can't guarantee you where he's going to be.
"So if it's a job that we think he can do, we will put him out there. That's why he was drafted. I don't want to bring Isaiah here and kind of slow him down. I want Isaiah to be Isaiah. What we saw him do on Clemson tape, I want him to do all those things, if possible. And if they're not possible, we'll move on somewhere else. But if they're possible, we're going to use him to win games."
But there's more to Simmons.
Joseph said Simmons has the skill set to rush the passer, whether it's from a standing position or off the edge, and be a blitzer.
"I've seen him pass-rush and, obviously, when you're a blitzer, you have to have some kind of pass-rushing technique," Joseph said. "Because if they have a blocker for you -- which, in this league, they probably will most of the time -- you have to have some technique to make moves and flip the hips to be a pass-rusher. I've seen him do that. I've also seen him rush when he's clean, and if a quarterback stands in a pocket clean, I mean, he can finish on quarterbacks.
"I've seen him also beat backs and tight ends one to one as a pass-rusher, so he's both. I mean, when you're that tall and long with that kind of burst, being a blitzer or pass-rusher, it's kind of one and the same."
That versatility could make it hard for offenses to diagnose how Simmons will be used on any given play.
"I can't tell you how they see it," Joseph said. "But that could be deceiving for an offensive line to kind of determine who's going to be the fourth rusher."