Chiefs' Karlaftis Backs Jason Kelce's Statement of Josh Simmons

Back in April of this year, the Kansas City Chiefs selected offensive tackle Josh Simmons out of Ohio State in the 2025 NFL Draft (32nd overall). He was the Chiefs' first draft pick, so you know they did a lot of research before setting their sights on him.

The offensive line has always been a major concern for the Chiefs over the past few seasons, specifically at the left tackle spot. Through trial and error, KC continuously tried to find a suitable and reliable player to fill the void, but nothing was working.

This offseason, not only did the Chiefs draft Simmons in the first round, but they also brought in former San Francisco 49ers OT Jaylon Moore in free agency. Moore served as the starting left tackle for the Niners when All-Pro Trent Williams went down with an injury toward the back end of the season.

Last week, retired All-Pro and Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce hyped up Simmons on his podcast "New Heights", which he hosts with his brother and current Chiefs' TE Travis Kelce.

“I’ve watched a lot of these linemen coming out the last few years. This kid, I mean, he is the closest thing I’ve seen to like a Trent Williams, like that next-level strength and athleticism. The only reason he fell to you guys is because of that injury,” Jason said. (30:10)

Now, a week later, Chiefs' star edge rusher George Karlaftis doubled down on Kelce's statements. In an episode of the show “Speak”, Karlaftis spoke out on the confidence he has in Simmons and shared his thoughts on what Kelce had to say.

“Jason knows what he’s talking about when he’s talking about alignment, right? But, you know, there’s definitely a lot of shades there. Just with the athleticism alone, his size, I think that’s a fair comparison, just off the intangibles alone,” Karlaftis said.

“Let’s see how he develops. I think he has all the tools, the intangibles, and the work ethic to be as great as he wants to be. Yeah, it’s all about putting in the work at the end of the day. So, I would agree with Jason’s comparison, for sure.”

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