Josh Simmons Projects as NFL Franchise Left Tackle

Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons turned in some of the cleanest tape I’ve ever evaluated.

That’s how I would summarize his six games this past season.

Unfortunately, it was in the sixth game that he sustained a season-ending knee injury, but according to NFL.com, he’s “believed to be ahead of schedule in his recovery and the expectation is he’ll be ready for the start of the 2025 season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.”

That’s got me taking a leap of faith on this one.

He’s that good.

Simmons sealed off the pocket in pass protection and he kicked ass as a run blocker.

He’s an athletic brute alpha who takes no prisoners.

Pocket Guardian

Simmons was like a refrigerator on wheels protecting his quarterback’s blindside. He was difficult to get around and he was impossible to go through.

2024:

• 0 Sacks

• 0 Hits

• 1 Hurry

And that’s exactly the way it looked on his film.

Simmons slid his feet up and down the perimeter of the pocket thwarting off the efforts of pass rushers. He’s so flexible ⎯he looked like the shadow of the pass rushers he was facing.

What’s the only knock I have on him pass blocking?

He has above-average lateral foot speed. It’s not great. Simmons ‘could’ give up a step of leverage to speed rushers racing to get through the back door (back edge) of the pocket. The keyword here is “could.” This is because that’s when the brute in Simmons takes over. He wasn’t having it. That’s when his competitiveness and weight room power took over and kept whoever it was off his quarterback.

Paving the way on the ground

Simmons run blocks like he means it.

He drives defenders into the ground like he’s burying them alive.

My kind of guy.

Simmons doesn’t just excel in a limited area either ⎯nope ⎯run blocking is where his athleticism shines. He seals off running lanes and sets the edge with ease. He gets downfield and drives defenders right off the screen. I’m in love. However, before I get too far carried away, I must talk about the weakest part of his game and that’s his run blocks at the second level, which is the area of the field where the linebackers reside pre-snap. For some darn reason, he struggled to control his run blocks at the second level.

On a scale of 1-10 ⎯10 being the best ⎯Simmons is an 8 in this department.

NFL projection

Based on NFL.com’s most recent team needs, San Francisco (No. 11), Miami (No. 13), and Indianapolis (No. 14) make the most sense. All three teams need a “future franchise left tackle,” and could afford Simmons the ability to “ease” into the lineup.

That’s where I value Simmons on my 2025 NFL Draft Board, somewhere in that range.

#71 Josh Simmons 6-foot-5, 317 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

M (Medical Risk)

Left knee injury

Projected by 59.9% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 26, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Ohio State’s Josh Simmons Blocks With Attitude (2023: 13 games evaluated)

2024 game film evaluated: Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, Iowa, and Oregon (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: 33-inch arms

Note: Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater (my top left tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft) has 33-inch arms

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Athletic and aggressive blocker who dominated pass and run blocking. High football IQ. Big wide frame. Dense, equally distributed upper and lower body muscle mass. Carries it well. Active. Alert. Physical. Tenacious. Strong-willed. Demonstrated good reach in pass pro. Good techniques. Pass blocks like a boxer bobbing and weaving. Flexible body movements. Quick loaded punchy hands. Twitchy. Quick choppy feet. No crossover while maintaining a wide sturdy base. Balanced. Coordinated. Good anticipation. Quick reflexes. Good mix of reactive countermoves and aggressive striking. Works well in concert with his inside guard. Good on getting out on screens and short passes. Above average straight-line speed. Once in a while releases pass and run blocks too early. Occasionally overextends and lunges due to being overzealous.

Final words

Don’t overthink it.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.