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Ohio State's top 2025 NFL Draft prospect sees stock surge last-minute as visits reveal his likely range

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ian Valentino | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 1:50 PM ET

While the Ohio State Buckeyes hope to tie or break Georgia's all-time record of producing 15 selections in one single NFL Draft, there's another accomplishment Ryan Day hopes to achieve. The Buckeyes hope to yield at least one first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft class, but it hasn't been guaranteed.

Despite being the defending National Championship winner, the Buckeyes' two best players and obvious top 10 talents weren't eligible for the NFL yet. The Buckeyes won the title despite being without its most gifted prospect for half the year.

Left tackle Josh Simmons suffered a torn ACL in Week 6 against Oregon, and that was a season-defining moment that helped and hurt the Buckeyes at varying points. With the injury in mind, Simmons has often been left out of top 20 mock draft projections.

However, that should change as we're down to a few days before the first round gets underway. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Simmons has met with two teams in the top 15 picks, the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals. Each could use a starting tackle.

Some visits:

Ohio St. OT Josh Simmons is visiting today with the Saints today and Tuesday with the Cardinals.

South Carolina DT TJ Sanders is visiting today with the Bengals and Tuesday with the Bills.

Miami OL Jalen Rivers is visiting today with the Bengals.

Georgia…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2025

To add to the speculation that Simmons is closer to a top 20 lock than not, Tom Pelissero confirmed the NFL invited Simmons to be present in Green Bay for the event. Simmons has accepted and will be one of 17 players who will make his way onto the stage at some point.

The 17 players who will attend next week’s NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/yT4sCGdcQf
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 14, 2025

I've often mocked Simmons to New Orleans, Seattle, and Houston. But the Cardinals make sense, even if they also have massive needs across their defensive front. Simmons is likely a better prospect at right tackle than some of the edge defenders expected to be left on the board by their 15th overall selection.

It'd be exciting for the Buckeyes' star to cap off his journey from San Diego State to the Buckeyes to the NFL as a top pick. He has the talent to be the best blocker in the class, so we're rooting for an ideal landing spot.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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