Chiefs to meet with 2025 NFL draft prospect believed to be the best and likeliest option for their first-round pick
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host a potential first-round draft prospect for a top-30 visit on Friday, which should generate plenty of buzz. As first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Chiefs are set to host Ohio State LT Josh Simmons on a top-30 visit. Simmons is expected to be a first-round draft […]
The Kansas City Chiefs are set to host a potential first-round draft prospect for a top-30 visit on Friday, which should generate plenty of buzz.
As first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Chiefs are set to host Ohio State LT Josh Simmons on a top-30 visit. Simmons is expected to be a first-round draft pick, but he has some question marks related to experience and health. Consider this K.C.'s version of a pre-draft medical check, where they'll get a chance to have him meet with the team's athletic training staff and doctors.
The former three-star recruit started his collegiate career at San Diego State University playing the right tackle position. Upon transferring to Ohio State, he switched to the left tackle position and accumulated over 1,100 snaps of experience throughout the last two seasons. In total, he has 19 games of experience at left tackle. In that span, he allowed 17 total pressures, including one sack, according to PFF.
Simmons did not play in the final 10 games of Ohio State's national title run because of a knee injury suffered during the 2024 season. That was originally thought to be an ACL injury, but it was actually revealed to be a patellar tendon injury, which is a more significant recovery for an offensive lineman. As of March, he was considered ahead of schedule in his recovery, and he did participate in portions of the Ohio State Pro Day on March 26.
Why does Josh Simmons make sense for the Chiefs in Round 1?
Had things turned out differently for Simmons from a health perspective, he could have made a case for being the best offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL draft class. He's got a ton going for him, ranging from balance to length (minus the NFL combine arm length questions) to footwork and technical prowess to being an easy mover with a stout build. He is competitive and plays through the whistle, a mentality the Chiefs can't get enough of. The only question that he has is health.
While some fans might object given substantial investments via the draft and free agency, there's plenty of evidence that the Chiefs should keep firing at the offensive tackle position in the NFL draft despite striking out on multiple occasions. The most staggering thing is that top offensive tackle prospects rarely make it to free agency. Just look at Trent Williams and Ronnie Stanley. Both players received or were expected to receive interest from Kansas City during recent free agency periods and ultimately returned to their respective teams.
ESPN's NFL Draft Day Predictor model gives Simmons a 65% chance of being available at pick No. 31 and the highest chance of being taken by the team (over 9%) if he's available at the pick. The question that Kansas City needs to ask themselves is that if he's available at 31, it means that other teams are not comfortable with his injury. So, why should the Chiefs be?
Hopefully, they'll get the answers they need on the injury on Friday, should they find themselves in that situation. At the same time, if Simmons is given a clear bill of health, the likelihood that he will make it to pick No. 31 seems low. The Chiefs might have to manufacture a trade up to get Simmons, which could be a difficult task in and of itself.