The versatility of former Clemson defensive player Isaiah Simmons may have been a point of “fascination” for the Arizona Cardinals, but it sounds like their approach will be more traditional when it comes to deploying their 2020 NFL Draft first-round pick.

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters in a video conference call on Monday that the team’s “thought process” is to have Simmons — who can stop the run, rush the passer and cover receivers — focus on one position instead of five.

“If he is really able to focus on one position, having the flexibility to still move around, but really focus on one, what does that look like?” Kingsbury said. “That’s why we were so excited about him. The athleticism is through the roof.”

Simmons was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker in 2019. The redshirt junior gained even more hype after the 2020 CFP National Championship game against LSU and cemented his blue-chip prospect status at the 2020 NFL Combine.

“This game is a Simmons highlight tape,” NFL Network’s draft expert Daniel Jeremiah tweeted during the game.

The 6-foot-4, 238-pound All-American demonstrated freakish speed in Indianapolis back in February and clocked a 4.39 40-yard dash — the fastest of any linebacker or lineman and on par with the fastest running back in the class, Jonathan Taylor. He is best known, however, for his deftness at transitioning between defensive roles.

In 2019, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables used Simmons in 738 total snaps, of which 35 percent were taken at slot cornerback, 32 percent at linebacker, 18 percent were at deep safety, 14 percent were on the defensive line and 1 percent were at wide cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus.

Kingsbury says their plan for 21-year-old Simmons, who has been lauded as a defensive “Swiss Army knife” by general manager Steve Keim, won’t be to replicate Venables’ approach.

“Hs ability to play different positions and not really have any chance to focus on one, we just think the sky can be the limit for what he could be if we really lock him into one position the majority of the time,” he said.

According to Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, that position will be linebacker, the demands of which have shifted significantly in recent years with many teams favoring more pass-heavy offensive schemes.

“The linebacker position has evolved unlike any other over the past decade,” Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus wrote in January. “In 2009, defenses had five or more defensive backs in on only 35.7 percent of plays. This season, that number is 58.0 percent, and it’s only climbing. … No one has displayed a more versatile skillset than Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons.”