Simmons played RT at San Diego state so he’s pretty versatile. Theoretically if Jaylon Moore looks like a solid LT this year and they want to keep him, they can have Simmons replace Jawaan in 2026 and save a ton of money.

Let me see how well I can make this point -- perhaps I've airmailed it a time or two.

What makes a 1st round pick is usually a sort of calculus considering 2 things -- ceiling and floor -- right?

An early/mid 1st rounder is a guy with a high ceiling who also has a good floor and who is likely to contribute right away. The ability to play early is priced into the equation. A healthy Simmons qualifies here.

A high floor, low ceiling player is usually a 2nd round pick or maybe a 3rd, right (Mitch Morse)?

And a high ceiling, low floor pick is also usually a 2nd round pick (the floor is what takes a lot of 2nd rounders out of the 1st round). A OL with technique issues (Patrick Paul). A DL with pad level/motor concerns (Chris Jones) a WR with quality of competition questions (Rice and Skyy).

So why should I care that Josh Simmons would have gone from 10-15 had he been healthy? When it's partially the ability to contribute early and high floor that is what pushed him there? When the floor is what it is due to injury rather than technique or whatever, that's STILL the floor.

Take that ability to contribute early away and the high floor away and what do you have? Well you have a guy with a reasonably high ceiling (but not an elite one) and a very low floor.

Isn't that just a 2nd round pick? Isn't that similar to so many other guys that get drafted on Day 2 ever year that need to be coached up? Isn't that Kingsley? It's just another guy with a 1st round ceiling and a 7th round floor that ends up getting them drafted on Day 2.

What MAKES a 1st round pick in many instances, especially when you're not looking at QB, is their ability to immediately produce and the relatively safe nature of the pick. Neither of those things exist here. So why should we give a rip about them at all? Simmons ceiling isn't higher than may of the 2nd day picks we see every year. I don't see a 10 year All Pro in terms of talent.

In terms of Ohio State lineman he's MUCH more Taylor Decker than Orlando Pace. And in terms of floor he's more Kinnard than Creed.

Folks are just so focused on a high but not elite ceiling that they continue to blow right past the fact that ceiling alone doesn't get very many people drafted that high unless that ceiling is sky high -- I just don't see it with Simmons and even the supporters of the pick aren't claiming it exists. "He'd have been a top 15 pick" is nothing like "He'd be Joe Alt..."

I’m actually out on Josh Simmons bc of other reasons. Matt Miller talked in depth about Simmons character concerns and it makes me nervous.

Some people legitimately wonder if he even liked football that much. That’s not Chris Jones taking plays off in college. That’s way more concerning to me.

Again if they took him I’d get why, but man he is too risky for me. If I’m a GM I’m nervous as hell about him.

Yeah, but he wasn’t close to the same guy. He was still huge and a red zone target, but he wasn’t the explosive nightmare matchup who dominated like he was before the injury.

And that’s the BEST case I can find, too.

It’s terrifying.

I’d be fine throwing a Day 3 at him but I am terrified about spending a first or trading up.

Even most of the highlight films from him show him being fairly dominant against poor competition at San Diego State on the right side or run blocking at Ohio State.

His pass pro reps from the left side at Ohio State are...fine. They're not amazing. And his best reps in pass pro came as a RT in the Mountain West. And as noted previously, the recent history of OTs from Ohio State is pretty poor. Paris Johnson and Nicolas Petit-Friere have been very underwhelming (I think NPF is a free agent at the moment). And when you start to look at his Ohio State clips you start to maybe get a feeling as to why - they have those guys mostly just going out there and mauling in the run game. They have very real issues in pass protection and don't seem to do a ton to develop it.

I just don't understand the helium here.

There are just soooooo many red flags.

Having him come in to KC on a publicly announced visit aint going to help either. Teams know they are are at least interested in Simmons for the right draft pick.

Yeah, I'm stubbornly sticking to my Egbuka/Burden dream over Simmons. I'd take Conerly over Simmons, or any of the defensive tackle/EDGE guys projected around us. Or a couple of the corners.

I just don't want Simmons. Maybe I'd reconsider if he's still there at 63 or 66.

I feel that is a whole misdirection ploy at this point. The league knows we need to fix left tackle, to let's make them believe we're zeroed in on left tackle. But GM's aren't dumb; they understand what we're doing.

No shit. If he works out at LG, thats a great pick.

Also Moore looked good to serviceable at RT last year, we will need one next year. If that works out too, it'll be a great pick.

Yeah - we know Veach will use official visits as smokescreens - he's said as much.

If they REALLY wanted to do this quietly, it wouldn't have been hard. They could've done that top 30 visit under the radar if they really wanted to.

And hell, maybe it's just to decide if they want to keep him on their draft board at all -- that certainly doesn't mean he's a primary target for them. Teams will use top 30 visits on guys they look at in the 5th round.

I'm just not sure there's much to take away from it.

I presume you mean Morris?

Moore's looked bad every time he's played RT.

I just ask for one thing. We know he’ll get a few DL. We know he’ll get a RB somewhere.

Please get another WR early. My God do we need it. Badly. And please get a RB who can be a lethal receiver with speed.

The offense has been painful to watch the last 2 years in large part due to slow or bad playmakers. We badly need to add more there.

Help your HOF QB Veach

I still think a trade up with Seattle works. Seattle has been mocked taking a guard in many drafts. They need interior lineman.

Seattle gets:
Smith
#31
2026 4th

Chiefs get:
#18

Can grab a Dline or Simmons or who ever at this point. I still think Veach will move Smith and not make him the highest paid guard. Seattle makes to much sense.

Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. Yes sir! Get Simmons! Ya gotta take a chance. The risk/reward is worth it. It would probably cost three 1st round picks to trade up to get a top 10 talent like Simmons at LT. Is it a huge risk? Absolutely but the reward is bigger if Simmons plays well. If the medicals check out and his workout shows he can move, go get Simmons. He already showed some impressive movement at his pro day for the injury being that recent. These young guys heal up better!

You don't, though.

You don't have to take this chance. This guy isn't an Orlando Pace-level talent who is falling because of questionable medicals.

He would only have been a top 10 talent in this draft because it's a weak LT draft.

It's an enormous risk. Try to find an NFL player who was the same after this injury. You won't. He doesn't exist.

Taking huge swings like this is one of the quickest ways to short-circuit your program.