The Kansas City Chiefs spent the final pick of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons. It looked like a slam dunk of a pick at the time because Simmons only fell due to an injury that stole the second half of his senior season with the Buckeyes.
Had he not been injured, he'd have gone much higher in the draft. People once again thought the Chiefs had pulled a fast one over them, especially when Simmons played well right out of the gates.
Things were pretty up and down from then on though, as Simmons missed time due to a personal reason and then later was injured, missing the rest of his rookie year. All-in-all, it was a mixed bag of a rookie season for Simmons but the Chiefs are optimistic that he can be a future star for them at left tackle.
The Chiefs aren't the only ones feeling good about what the future might bring for Simmons. Nick Shook of NFL.com recently put together a list of who he perceived to be best players under the age of 25. In fact, he compiled an entire team, the All-Under-25 Team. As you can predict, Simmons made the cut at one of the offensive tackle spots.
"... Simmons proved the hype that first surfaced during Chiefs camp was not overblown when he took the field in September. He was remarkably solid in his first few games as a pro, seemingly answering Kansas City's persistent question at left tackle. But after Simmons missed four games because of a "family matter," a wrist injury ultimately ended his rookie season after just eight contests. The health issues will remain a concern, especially when considering the patellar tendon injury that tanked his draft stock, but if Simmons stays active, he’ll own a place on this team at this time next year, too -- and the Chiefs will be glad they took a risk on him with the 32nd pick two Aprils ago."
Josh Simmons earns spot on All-Under-25 team amid questions
This is pretty high praise, especially considering that Simmons missed half the year. Clearly, when he was on the gridiron and playing in front of Patrick Mahomes, he was worth talking about. Chiefs fans are hoping that Simmons can remain healthy during his sophomore season and continue to prove that he was worthy of the late first-round selection.
The Chiefs need their offensive line to be better in 2026 and Simmons is a huge part of that equation. If he's healthy, the left tackle spot should be shored up for the foreseeable future. If he has another injury prone season, however, other concerning questions might start to arise.
The good news is that people can see the talent is there with Simmons. Now he just needs to show that he can stay on the field for the duration of the season.
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