The Kansas City Chiefs’ decision to draft Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons with the 32nd overall pick has drawn intriguing parallels to two of the NFL’s premier young linemen, with Director of Player Personnel Ryne Nutt explicitly comparing the rookie to Minnesota’s Christian Darrisaw and Los Angeles’s Rashawn Slater during post-draft remarks. The evaluation positions Simmons as a calculated gamble on raw physical tools and technical upside, with Kansas City banking on their developmental infrastructure to refine his considerable potential.
Standing 6’6” with 34⅛-inch arms, Josh Simmons possesses the length and lateral mobility that Nutt described as “foundational” for modern NFL tackles. His ability to reset against counter moves and sustain blocks in space mirrors Darrisaw’s emergence as a dominant force for Minnesota, where the former Virginia Tech star has leveraged similar explosiveness to neutralise elite edge rushers. Like Darrisaw, who allowed just one sack across 615 pass-blocking snaps in 2022, Simmons demonstrates the lower-body strength to anchor against power rushes while maintaining balance to redirect defenders in zone schemes.
The Slater comparison hinges on technical precision and adaptability. Despite shorter arms than the prototype (33 inches), Slater became an immediate standout for the Chargers by mastering hand placement and footwork nuances-traits Nutt highlighted in Simmons’ transition from right to left tackle at Ohio State. The rookie’s capacity to refine his pass sets mid-game, adjusting to stunts and delayed blitzes with veteran-like composure, reflects the processing speed that made Slater a Pro Bowler within two seasons.
Josh Simmons’ draft slide to the end of the first round stemmed partly from an October 2023 injury that truncated his final collegiate campaign, but Kansas City views the medicals as a temporary obstacle rather than a long-term liability. Nutt emphasized that pre-injury tape placed Simmons “firmly in the top tier” of tackle prospects, with his combination of mauler mentality in the run game and smooth redirects in pass protection evoking Darrisaw’s breakout second season. The Chiefs’ staff, including offensive line coach Andy Heck, will prioritize enhancing Simmons’ punch timing and pad level-two areas where Slater transformed perceived weaknesses into strengths during his own rookie transition.
