The Kansas City Chiefs entered the draft with their prominent need being the offensive line. The offensive line was the primary reason the Chiefs got dominated in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles; their offensive lineman couldn’t handle the pressure, and it led to Patrick Mahomes not being able to be comfortable in the pocket and throw unadvised passes.
The last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl, the Chiefs held the Eagles to no sacks on Mahomes, and the Eagles knew that if they wanted to overcome that loss, they had to bolster the defensive line.
Similarly, if the Chiefs want to move past this blunder, they have to go all in on reworking their offensive line. They signed Jaylon Moore out of free agency and kept Trey Smith on a franchise tag, but that’s not enough.
That’s why their first-round selection of Josh Simmons is so impactful and has the added effect of being one of the few picks in the first round that have the potential to change a franchise by themselves. If he weren’t injured, he would’ve most likely been the first tackle off the board, so to get him at 32nd overall is immense value.
Ryne Nutt is the Chiefs’ Director of Player Personnel/College Scouting, and he recently did an online press conference opening up about the players and their strengths. I covered what he had to say regarding Brashard Smith and his impact on the offense, but he also had plenty to say about Simmons.
“I’m gonna say Josh is one of the better tackles in this draft class, you could say the best, but I’m gonna say top three in this draft class…Josh is physically elite; he’s big and strong, and his footwork jumps off the tape. When you put his tape on, his set is as pretty as it looks in terms of offensive line pass setting…The kid is super talented and super willing to work, we’re excited to have him where we got him”.
Simmons will help the Chiefs bounce back from a tremendous loss on the biggest stage in the NFL, and hopefully, injuries won’t keep him from contributing to another year of dominance over the AFC West.
