Josh Simmons was a projected top-15 pick before a knee injury dropped him to 32nd overall, where the Chiefs happily gave Patrick Mahomes his blindside protector.
Josh Simmons transferred from San Diego State to Ohio State and was playing like a first-round lock at left tackle before a season-ending knee injury clouded his draft stock. Kansas City scooped him up at the end of round one anyway, and he stepped in as a rookie starter protecting Patrick Mahomes.
Path to the league
Simmons started at right tackle for two seasons at San Diego State before transferring to Ohio State, where he won the starting left tackle job in 2023 and allowed just one sack all season. He was playing dominant football again in 2024, without a sack or QB hit allowed through six games, when a knee injury in an October loss to Oregon ended his season and dropped him from a projected top-15 talent to the 32nd overall pick, where the Chiefs selected him.
Career highlights
Before his injury, Simmons was regarded as one of the best pass-protecting tackles in the country, having allowed only one sack across 443 pass-blocking snaps in 2023. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach acknowledged the injury was the only reason Simmons fell to Kansas City at pick 32.
2025 season recap
Simmons won the Chiefs' starting left tackle job as a rookie and showed flashes of the talent that made him a top prospect. He played in eight games before a fractured wrist suffered on Thanksgiving Day against the Dallas Cowboys landed him on injured reserve and ended his rookie season, but his performance when healthy gave Kansas City stability at the position heading into 2026.
Sources
- Chiefs.com: Five Things to Know About Josh Simmons
- ESPN: Josh Simmons
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- Ohio State
- Hometown
- San Diego, CA, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
