Chiefs impressed with first-round left tackle during rehab process
The Kansas City Chiefs double-dipping in the left tackle position this offseason with Josh Simmons in the draft could pay dividends, but the Chiefs have been cautious with their first-round pick.
If Simmons is able to hit the field sooner rather than later in 2025, the Chiefs could have themselves a franchise left tackle that starts at the position for more than three seasons in the Patrick Mahomes era rather than the shorter-term options of the past like Orlando Brown Jr., Eric Fisher, Donovan Smith and others. Fisher was the team’s franchise left tackle since 2013 when he was taken first overall in the 2013 NFL Draft, but spent only three seasons in Kansas City with Mahomes as the starting quarterback and even captured a Super Bowl championship in the process. The former Ohio State Buckeye could be the next left tackle to play a significant amount of years for the team, but taking it slow with Simmons as he recovers from a torn patellar tendon he suffered in 2024 in his final year in college is what the Chiefs have opted to do.
So far, since entering the team’s facility, Simmons has caught the attention of the coaches and his approach to his first year as a professional. Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy had some flattering words about the 32nd overall pick in 2025, outlining Simmons’s character while mentioning the type of player Simmons was leading up to the Chiefs drafting him.
“College film, phenomenal, really liked it. You can see athleticism, recovery if he gets beat,” Nagy said during organized team activities last week. “I’ve really been impressed with his professionalism since he’s been in this building, He’s really locked in.”
Nagy also said the injury he suffered last season at Ohio State dropped him in the draft a little bit, but that didn’t deter the Chiefs from drafting the three=year college starter. The Chiefs scouting department saw Simmons as a first-round talent and so did offensive line coach Andy Heck, who did his own homework on the former Buckeye before the draft.
“I don’t necessarily know where Brett [Veach] and our scouting department’s heads are at, so I just evaluate the draft, they read my reporter and mix it in with the others” Heck said during OTAs last week. “Definitely saw him as a first-round talent. Job one, we got to get him healthy.”
The Chiefs begin mandatory minicamp next week, and will hold minicamp from June 17 through June 19.
