The first day of the 2025 NFL Draft was indeed quite eventful! Particularly, the Kansas City Chiefs made one of the boldest and potentially most brilliant moves of the night. That is, selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons as the 32nd overall pick. And Tavia Hunt, the First Lady of Chiefs Kingdom, made no delay in welcoming him to the clan. With a simple four-word message, she didn’t just hit Instagram. It hit home.

Resharing @Chiefs’ post, her message was impactful. She wrote, “Welcome to the Kingdom @jos5ua.” The original post had the caption, “The Kingdom’s newest protector. With the 32nd pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, we have selected @jos5ua!” Josh Simmons wasn’t supposed to be available at pick No. 32. Before an injury ended his 2024 season, the 6’5”, 317-pound Buckeye had built a résumé that made him absolutely worthy of a top-10 selection.

With 0 sacks allowed, 1 pressure all year, PFF pass blocking grade at 82.0, AP Midseason All-American, and All-Big Ten Honorable mention (despite playing just six games), he was the catch. But then, the injury changed all of it. On October 12 against Oregon, Simmons suffered a torn left patellar tendon, raising concerns regarding his long-term durability.

But General Manager Brett Veach saw an opportunity, as he stated, “Left tackles don’t typically become free… sometimes it takes one of these scenarios — an injury — for a guy like this to fall.” The Chiefs traded down one spot with Philly, picked up an extra fifth, and then swiped Josh Simmons. “He was certainly a guy that made sense for us,” Veach added. The Eagles, on the other hand, went on to select Jihaad Campbell.

Andy Reid gives update on Josh Simmons’ injury

In his post-draft press conference, Andy Reid took to discussing the dynamics of his calculated move during the draft pick with Josh Simmons. “He would’ve been a top five or ten pick… It’s a position we could use some good players at… and in particular the left tackle spot, if and when he can jump in there and do that,” Reid states in the article published by Chiefs Wire.

Simmons had surgery with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a go-to name in sports medicine. The Chiefs had Rick Burkholder and the training staff to look into it, and Andy Reid gave the nod post-draft. “Rick said… for that guy to be already at that stage, he was well ahead of where he should be,” Reid affirmed.

So, we can stay assured that the rehab is going way ahead of schedule. “He’ll definitely be ready for training camp,” Reid added. “He’ll be able to do some stuff up until then.” So while the plan is gradual, everything remains optimistic. Simmons is going to be limited in the rookie minicamp and OTAs. But he is expected to be fully present by the time camp opens in St. Joseph. So, the Chiefs are welcoming Josh Simmons with arms wide open.

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