Josh Simmons was a gigantic offensive lineman for Ohio State. Simmons will be a good professional for a long time. Simmons was instrumental in the Ohio State National Championship. Simmons is also an effective run blocker. Projections have Simmons going No. 30 overall to the Buffalo Bills, though he could go higher. Simmons is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound player from California. Do you think your favorite NFL team needs an offensive lineman?
Josh Simmons’ Statistics
Ohio State University offensive line product Josh Simmons was one of college football’s premier offensive tackles before a horrible knee injury cut his 2024 campaign short. He should be fully recovered, but that knee injury probably cost him millions of dollars. The San Diego product was a consensus four-star recruit, coming out of high school. Simmons is from San Diego and played for San Diego State in 2022.
He transferred to Ohio State in 2023, won the starting left tackle job right away, and showcased athleticism and technical refinement to play well in the NFL. He has versatility and durability. Both were on display as he started 26 consecutive games between San Diego State and Ohio State. He was effective at both right and left tackle. Before his horrible season-ending knee injury against Oregon in October 2024, Simmons had not allowed a sack and would have been a top NFL draft prospect.
Simmons earned several honors when he was at Ohio State, and they should bode well for him. He was a Third Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 despite playing just six games. Simmons had a challenging major at Ohio State and his teammates nicknamed him “Jimmy” because of an abundance of Joshes in the offensive line room. The junior declared for the 2025 NFL Draft in December.
NFL Strengths
Despite his knee injury, Simmons has a lot of strength that should attract NFL teams. Here are his strengths according to NFL Draft Buzz:
- Exceptional lateral mobility allows him to mirror speed rushers and execute backside cutoff blocks with rare fluidity for a man his size.
- Devastating punch power combined with independent hand usage – consistently lands first meaningful contact while showing variety in strike patterns.
- Elite foot speed and technique lets him consistently beat rushers to the spot, rarely getting beat around the corner.
- Displays outstanding spatial awareness when working combo blocks and picking up stunts, showing natural chemistry with his guard.
- Explosive first step and closing burst help him eliminate linebackers at the second level – arrives balanced and ready to deliver a blow.
- Brings serious juice in the screen game, showing rare ability to track down and eliminate targets in space for his size.
- Natural knee bend and anchor strength allow him to absorb power rushes without giving ground, even against bull rush specialists.
- Position versatility is a major plus – has started and played well at both tackle spots against quality competition.
He is betting on himself by declaring early in the NFL Draft. It is a bold move, to say the least. Simmons is hoping that these strengths are attractive despite his devasting injury.
NFL Weaknesses
The biggest problem for Simmons is his knee injury. Here are his weaknesses according to Draft Buzz.
- October 2024 knee injury raises significant medical concerns and will require thorough evaluation during the pre-draft process.
- Shows occasional lapses in hand placement against wide-9 alignments, allowing defenders into his chest plate too frequently.
- Racked up 25 penalties over past two seasons between San Diego State and Ohio State – must clean up technical infractions.
- Can get overaggressive seeking contact in space, leading to binationally.
Conclusion
By far Simmons’ biggest problem is his injury concern. If he rehabilitates properly, he could be a bargain in the draft. He is skilled enough, as he has shown, to play on Sundays. If he and all of the other Buckeyes get selected in the first round, that would be almost one-third of the first-round Buckeyes.
