After night one of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs have a new addition on offense, and it is indeed a new blocker for Patrick Mahomes. Ohio State's Josh Simmons, who was linked heavily to the Chiefs before the draft, ends up being who Kansas City loved near the end of the first round.
Reactions from some Chiefs fans have been mixed. Generally, that will happen with any sort of offensive line addition. In the end, adding more protection for Mahomes is never a bad place to start. And via the quarterback's post itself, the K.C. signal caller appears to approve the Simmons selection.
How does the Josh Simmons pick ultimately impact the Chiefs right away? Here is how Kansas City could be thinking in terms of their 2025 blocking unit.
Josh Simmons offers multiple options for starting lineup
Josh Simmons could miss part of OTAs and rookie minicamp, as mentioned by Andy Reid in a press conference after the first round. He is recovering from last season's patellar tendon injury. If not for the injury he suffered, the Chiefs may not have even had the opportunity to take him.
But once Simmons is fully cleared and ready to roll, the competition along the offensive line becomes intriguing. Free agent signee Jaylon Moore will get a chance to lock down the left tackle spot. Simmons could easily start at left tackle during his rookie season as well. If Simmons does take reps at left tackle right away, Moore could always have a chance to play at left guard.
Meanwhile, Kingsley Suamataia is expected to get his shot at left guard. Mike Caliendo should not be ruled out from taking reps at that spot, either, based on Coach Reid's recent comments. At the other guard spot, Trey Smith was franchise tagged this offseason. Kansas City is hoping to get a long-term deal done with him.
And even at right tackle, general manager Brett Veach mentioned Jawaan Taylor is rehabbing a knee injury. That nagging ailment is something that he dealt with in the playoffs last year. And of course, the Chiefs could easily move on from Taylor next offseason, saving a ton of money in salary cap space. Simmons has right tackle experience from college, to boot.
Chiefs have built themselves more options to play with upfront
The competition and position battles for those starting spots will be interesting. But more importantly, the Chiefs have done a solid job to build up more depth upfront. They were a bit late to really solidify any offensive tackle depth last offseason. But with the signing of Moore, plus the selection of Simmons, Kansas City can know they have many options who actually have experience as a blindside protector.
As good as Joe Thuney is and was for them, sliding a natural guard out to the edge was risky business. Now the Chifes have options with two players who are comfortable at the left tackle position. As a result, that should lead to more comfort with the depth of who can play all five positions upfront.
Coach Reid has generally never shied away from just getting his five best blockers onto the field. He has done it in the past during his early days as Chiefs head coach, and even in Philadelphia, that line of thinking was utilized by his coaching staff. All told, Kansas City just has not had that same luxury, because of depth, to truly lean into that way of thinking in a couple of years.
Franchise left tackle could materialize via a steal in the draft
There were many prominent names in football media that uttered the same sentence about Josh Simmons. If not for his knee injury in the middle of Ohio State's season, he could have been the first offensive tackle off the board. A healthy Simmons seemingly goes anywhere from 16 to 25 picks earlier in this draft.
Granted, medical questions with patellar tendon injuries can be tricky to navigate. But if you look at the success of the Chiefs' medical staff, many players have made it back onto the field quicker than anticipated. More often than not, Kansas City has been able to see players beat their estimated recovery timelines.
The reported medical checks and extensive work that the Chiefs did on Simmons gives you more reassurance when it comes to the recovery. Meanwhile, if the Ohio State product can play to how some view him, as the best tackle in the class, this pick becomes a major steal for Brett Veach and Co. That would be a fitting way to finally landing a franchise left tackle, if Simmons hits as a first-round pick.