Who will the Kansas City Chiefs draft in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft?

Well, as 2024 proved, the team could use another offensive weapon or two, be that a wide receiver like Luther Burden III or a long-term replacement for Travis Kelce like Mason Taylor. They also might need some more help on defense as well, be that a pass rusher like Donovan Ezeiruaku or a cornerback like Maxwell Hairston.

But in the opinion of Adam Schefter, who was sharing some of his NFL intel on the final The Adam Schefter Podcast before the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the answer is pretty obvious: the Chiefs need a new left tackle, and he knows the perfect player for the job.

“They’re still trying to shore up the tackle position despite all that they’ve invested in it in recent years,” Schefter said. “A player like Josh Simmons from Ohio State would make a lot of sense going to Kansas City in the back end of Round 1.”

Widely considered the top tackle in this year’s class before suffering a season-ending knee injury last October, Simmons is a force of a man with high-level collegiate experience. And the best part? His game is similar to a player the Chiefs targeted last season, even if that addition didn’t ultimately work out.

Josh Simmons reminds Lance Zierlein of a former Chiefs LT

While the idea of bringing in Simmons is a mildly unique take, as the Ohio State product is widely expected to go on Day 2 because of his injury-shortened 2024 season, if he does land in Kansas City, Chiefs fans should be familiar with his on-field style, as according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, he looks a lot like D. J. Humphries.

“An athletic tackle prospect with adequate size and length, Simmons has experience starting on both sides. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in mid-October, so his recovery and timetable for return will need to be vetted. He’s a consistently fluid mover both inside the box and when asked to play in space, and he has the slide quickness to compete against NFL edge speed,” Zierlein wrote.

“He’s more positional than powerful in completing his run-blocking tasks, but he can fit into all schemes. Improved hand placement and latch-in strength can help better control opponents in both the run and pass games. Simmons can still be susceptible to twists and counters in pass pro, so he might need a year to continue honing his craft in that area before he is ready to take on NFL pocket hunters.”

Now granted, in 2024, the Chiefs didn’t get much out of Humphries, even if fans would have liked more on-field production from the long-time Cardinals tackle. In the regular season, Humphries only played 92 offensive snaps over two games, and in the playoffs, he didn’t play a snap, forcing long-time left guard Joe Thuney to play tackle on the way to a loss against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

Could Simmons finally solve the Chiefs’ tackle issues for good? While only time will tell, for now, fans should keep an eye on the Ohio State tackle, as he might just be the pick at 31 overall.