Chiefs Rookie 1st-Round Pick Putting Foot Down in Training Camp

The Kansas City Chiefs selected former Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, and they are already seeing a positive return on their investment.

Simmons is coming off an injury-shortened final college season. However, he has shown no lingering ill effects during training camp, instead thriving while protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside.

Rookie 1st-Round Pick Josh Simmons Turning Heads in Chiefs Training Camp

Chiefs’ Josh Simmons Dominating LT Reps

“Just the fact that, not only does he look the part, [but] there is no brace, there’s no leg compression, there’s no ‘Oh, let’s just ease them into this.’ No, it’s over,” ESPN’s Nate Taylor said on the “Only Weird Games” podcast on July 29. “Just to remind you all how quickly this has progressed, Day 0 was Sunday, July 20th. We didn’t know anything at that point. The biggest thing we tried to find out that day as a collective group of reporters is, ‘Is Josh Simmons going to participate? And then, ‘If so, what do you anticipate his level of participation being?

“In a matter of nine days, no one on this team is discussing Josh Simmons as a possibility. They’re discussing him as a certainty. It took nine days. There’s no rotating. There’s no competition.”

Chiefs OT Josh Simmons Proving Point Against Draft Classmate

Gillotte was “trying so hard” to get around Simmons, but “they’re just not in the same class,” Taylor said. On another rep the following day, Gillotte tried to set the edge.

“There was no edge. He was blown off the ball to the point where he’s like, ‘Come on, man.’

And this is critical now, because I think this is what Trey Smith is trying to get Kingsley Suamataia out to get his mindset of like, ‘No, who cares if the refs are here? They’re not gonna call it every time. So mush him. Continue to mush him.’ They ain’t even got to teach that to Josh Simmons no more.”

Simmons and Gilotte would end up getting into a minor scuffle after the whistle at one point.

However, Simmons’ performance so far, against Gilotte and in general, should not come as a surprise.

Josh Simmons’ Injury Sunk Draft Stock

The Chiefs benefited from Simmons’ misfortune, with a knee injury significantly hindering his draft stock.

“Had he not injured his knee last year, Simmons might have been a top-10 pick,” The Athletic’s Nick Baumgartner wrote on July 30. “When he’s right, his combination of foot speed and functional length makes him a terror to rush against off the edge. Not only is Simmons good enough to start right away, but also he has All-Rookie potential if he’s 100 percent.”

The Chiefs are starting over on the left side of their offensive line.

Simmons and Suamataia are replacing players who helped the Chiefs reach the Super Bowl in now-backup Wanya Morris and four-time champion Joe Thuney, who KC traded to the Chicago Bears this offseason.

Mahomes absorbed a career-high 36 sacks in 2024. As much as the Chiefs’ offensive line can help resolve that, it now starts with Simmons.

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