Simmons might find yourself being a little bit of a challenge within the NFL. After a redshirt season at San Diego State, Simmons began a season at proper deal with for the Aztecs earlier than transferring to Columbus and switching to left deal with. As a redshirt junior, Simmons returned to start out on the left facet for one more 12 months earlier than struggling a season-ending knee damage.
In his time with the Buckeyes, the 22-year-old displayed quickness off the road of scrimmage and spectacular steadiness. Whereas he isn’t a lot of a bulldozer within the run sport, his quickness can assist him be efficient on pulls. What actually shines for Simmons is his move blocking talents, which had been adequate to place him in consideration for OT1 honors within the draft class, had he not skilled his damage setback.
He received’t be a challenge as a result of he must develop, he’ll doubtlessly be a challenge as a result of his highway again to 100% well being could also be a little bit of a journey. The damage led him to be the fifth deal with taken within the draft and the eighth offensive lineman taken. If it was poor play that led to his slide, he might have slipped out of the primary spherical altogether.
Due to his damage, although, any staff that drafted him was doubtless going to wish to use a first-round choose on him in order that the fifth-year possibility offers them a little bit of extra time to guage his prospects for a second NFL contract.
In Kansas Metropolis, final 12 months’s beginning tackles, Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris, had been something however spectacular. The staff additionally has final 12 months’s second-round choose, Kingsley Suamataia, and free agent signing Jaylon Moore to work with, as nicely.
Suamataia began the primary two video games for the Chiefs at proper deal with final 12 months earlier than being benched for Morris, whereas Moore completed the final portion of 2024 filling in for Trent Williams because the 49ers beginning left deal with.
In a super state of affairs, it could be asking plenty of Simmons to leap into a contest that would see any mixture of two of Taylor, Morris, Suamataia, and Moore bookending the road. He falls into an ideal state of affairs, although, the place, positive, loads of query marks stay on the depth chart, however there are many choices who can man the spots successfully till Simmons is recovered and able to compete and contribute. His fifth-year possibility offers him a little bit of respiratory room to indicate his value earlier than his rookie deal expires.
Simmons is simply the primary Chiefs rookie to signal their contract. The staff has six extra gamers from their draft class that also have to ink their offers.
