By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The Kansas City Chiefs traded pick 31 to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for pick 32, and chose Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons as the final pick of the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Simmons was projected as a potential top 10 pick coming into this year, before suffering a season ending injury against Oregon. Regardless of the injury, Simmons was one of the more popular mocked players to get drafted by the Chiefs to help solidify their offensive line.
Simmons spent the past two seasons as the Buckeyes’ starting left tackle after transferring from San Diego State, where he played on the opposite end of the line. He was limited to just six games during Ohio State’s national championship-winning season due to a knee injury suffered in his team’s 32-31 loss to Oregon in October.
Simmons, however, participated in the Buckeyes’ pro day and posted 33 reps on the bench press, which would’ve been tied for the most at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Head Coach Andy Reid says Simmons could have been a top five or ten pick had he been healthy.
"We felt was a phenomenal athlete...would have been a higher pick if he would not have been hurt," Reid says.
Reid also adds it's unknown if Simmons will participate in the rookie minicamp, but he should be available soon after.
"He will definitely be ready for training camp," Reid said. "He'll be able to do stuff before then."
Kansas City signed Jaylon Moore this offseason to help out at the left tackle position, so Simmons is most likely to compete with him if he is able to play this season after the knee injury. Moore was the backup to Trent Williams in San Francisco and looked solid in a handful of late-season starts for the 49ers. But the small sample size doesn't engender confidence for some fans, and it's hard to know the level of belief in Moore from the team's front office.
The Chiefs have seven additional picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including three picks on Day 2 on Friday. In round two, Kansas City holds the 63rd overall pick, and in round three, the franchise holds both the 66th overall pick and the 95th overall pick.
Additionally, the Chiefs hold the 133rd overall pick in the fourth round, as well as the 164th pick from the Eagles. They also hold three picks in the seventh round of the draft. Kansas City holds the 226th overall pick, the 251st overall pick, and the 257th overall pick in the back half of the NFL Draft.
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