Josh Simmons, OT Ohio State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Simmons was a four-star recruit from Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif. in the class of 2021

Ohio State Buckeyes offensive tackle Josh Simmons has the potential to develop into a superstar for the 2025 NFL Draft. He received a second round summer evaluation, but the path is clear for Simmons to become a first round-caliber prospect and a leading member of the 2025 class.

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Josh Simmons, OT Ohio State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior left tackle from San Diego, Calif.

Background: Simmons was a four-star recruit from Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 342 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 366 for On3.com. Simmons was an unranked four-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked four-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He originally played football at Madison High School in San Diego, Calif. before attending Helix. Simmons originally committed to Oregon before decommitting and then committing to San Diego State ten months later. He transferred to Ohio State for the 2023 season. Simmons was born on Dec. 26, 2002.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: N/A

Pros: Starting experience at right tackle and left tackle, cut down on penalties from 2022 to 2023, ideal frame for an NFL tackle, room to get stouter in his lower half, terrific arm length, upper body strength pops, powerful arm extensions, hands pack knockback, explosive initial step is impressive for his size, usually avoids oversetting, successful jump sets vs. Penn State (2023), moments when his size was too much for Chop Robinson or Adisa Isaac to handle (2023), power kept the Michigan pass rushers in check (2023), spots stunts and delayed blitzes, battle tested with significant win rate in pass pro against 2023 prospects, difficult to play through on seal blocks, washes defenders away on down blocks, bulldozer when he reaches the second level

Cons: Committed 25 penalties in the past two years, got away with a handful of false starts vs. Penn State and Notre Dame (2023), comes out of his stance slow with tiny shuffles at times, hand placement is wide, allowed Chop Robinson into his chest too often (2023), inside hand placement needs work vs. wide-alignment rushers, stops feet on contact in pass pro, struggled to mirror explosive and bendy defenders up the arc, has to extend chest over knees to chase some defenders up the arc, missed stunts vs. Notre Dame (2023), lacks burst to establish reach blocks consistently, struggles to halt momentum when lead blocking on screens, gets over his skies and stumbles in the run game, pulled forward and off balance in the run game, ends up on the ground in the run game, allows defenders to spin away as a run blocker, troubles sustaining run blocks vs. Notre Dame (2023), horizontal leverage and body positioning in the run game is inconsistent for sustaining blocks

Overview: Simmons has one year of starting experience at both right tackle and left tackle. He cut his penalties down from 17 in 2022 to eight in 2023 despite making a significant jump in competition. Simmons possesses an ideal frame for an NFL tackle and still has room to get stouter in his lower half to enhance his anchor. His arm length appears to surpass NFL thresholds. That length allows him to impose his will on pass rushers with his powerful upper body, forceful arm extensions, and strong hands. Simmons’ hands pack some pop on contact. He put together impressive jump sets against Penn State to take the talented Nittany Lions pass rushers out of plays (2023). Simmons has an explosive initial step that helps him contend with wide-alignment rushers. However, there are several plays where he is still slow off the line or uses tiny shuffles that cover limited ground. Experience should help fix this problem. Simmons usually avoids oversetting and does a good job protecting the B-gap. However, he clearly got a few early starts on plays against Penn State and Notre Dame (2023) but didn’t get called for false starts. He’ll need to be more careful going forward. The redshirt junior’s power was too much for Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac at times. He’s a good match for those smaller edge rushers that he can overwhelm with his length and natural power. Simmons also had the power to lock down Michigan’s pass rushers for the majority of their match in 2023. His hand placement gets too wide at times. This showed up when Simmons allowed Chop Robinson into his chest. The left tackle also needs to work on his inside hand placement when facing wide-alignment rushers. He has a bad habit of stopping his feet as soon as he makes contact with the defender. This allows sudden or twitchy pass rushers to accelerate past him and around the top of the arc. Simmons struggles to mirror explosive and bendy defenders up the arc. His first step is usually good, but his subsequent footwork needs work. Falling behind when trying to mirror defenders often leads to Simmons extending his chest over his knees and lunging. The California native usually spots stunts and delayed blitzes quickly, but he missed one or two against Notre Dame (2023). In the run game, Simmons has the frame and power to seal defenders with little difficulty. He also washes defenders down the line on down blocks and terrorizes second level defenders when he climbs. Simmons lacks the burst to establish reach blocks consistently. He frequently loses his balance and ends up on the ground. This happens when working in the open field, but Simmons also falls or stumbles when operating in small spaces. He needs to control his momentum and balance more instead of lunging and leaning. Simmons needs to use his powerful upper body, thick frame, and body positioning to sustain run blocks for longer.  

Overall, Simmons currently has the traits and technique to warrant a top 100 selection, but it’s possible that he will play his way into the first round conversation in 2024. He must iron out inconsistencies in his kick slide and hand placement in pass protection and become a more balanced run blocker to lock up a top 32 selection.

Role & Scheme Fit: Left tackle in an inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'5", 310 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 02-22-24