There weren’t many Ohio State players taken in the very top of the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, but once things got going later in the round, the Buckeyes ended up seeing four players see their names scroll across the bottom on the first evening of the festivities.
First, it was receiver Emeka Egbuka going off the board when selected at No. 19 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was followed by offensive lineman Donovan Jackson at No. 24 to the Vikings, quickly followed by defensive tackle Tyleik Williams at No. 29 to the Lions. Not to be outdone, offensive tackle Josh Simmons finished the night when the Kansas City Chiefs took him to help protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Josh Simmons started his career at San Diego State, playing there in 2022 before transferring to the Buckeyes. In that time, he showed himself as an elite offensive tackle.
It’s hard to quantify offensive tackles statistically, of course. Places like PFF do it with advanced analytics, but for most teams and scouts the offensive line is still a “you know it when you see it” type of judgment. Sure, teams look at how much players bench, and how many reps they do. Dash and sprint times still matter, but the way to know if you have an elite tackle is just to watch them block. And on that scale, Simmons passes with flying colors.
.@josh5immons is a 1st Round Draft Pick, next stop ➡️ @Chiefs
#DevelopedHere | #NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/FvmcEoO4of— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2025
He was thought to be the best OSU player available in a lot of circles, but coming off of injury may have made a lot of teams shy away from him. If he’s fully healthy and in the form we saw during the last couple of years, the Chiefs are getting a steal, like they almost always do.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State OT Josh Simmons selected in first round of 2025 NFL draft
There weren’t many Ohio State players taken in the very top of the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, but once things got going later in the round, the Buckeyes ended up seeing four players see their names scroll across the bottom on the first evening of the festivities.
First, it was receiver Emeka Egbuka going off the board when selected at No. 19 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That was followed by offensive lineman Donovan Jackson at No. 24 to the Vikings, quickly followed by defensive tackle Tyleik Williams at No. 29 to the Lions. Not to be outdone, offensive tackle Josh Simmons finished the night when the Kansas City Chiefs took him to help protect quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Josh Simmons started his career at San Diego State, playing there in 2022 before transferring to the Buckeyes. In that time, he showed himself as an elite offensive tackle.
It’s hard to quantify offensive tackles statistically, of course. Places like PFF do it with advanced analytics, but for most teams and scouts the offensive line is still a “you know it when you see it” type of judgment. Sure, teams look at how much players bench, and how many reps they do. Dash and sprint times still matter, but the way to know if you have an elite tackle is just to watch them block. And on that scale, Simmons passes with flying colors.
.@josh5immons is a 1st Round Draft Pick, next stop ➡️ @Chiefs
#DevelopedHere | #NFLDraftpic.twitter.com/FvmcEoO4of— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 25, 2025
He was thought to be the best OSU player available in a lot of circles, but coming off of injury may have made a lot of teams shy away from him. If he’s fully healthy and in the form we saw during the last couple of years, the Chiefs are getting a steal, like they almost always do.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State OT Josh Simmons selected in first round of 2025 NFL draft
