After allowing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to be sacked more than he had been in any season, the Kansas City Chiefs desperately needed to add to their offensive line this offseason. They wasted no time, drafting offensive lineman Josh Simmons in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Simmons was a standout offensive lineman at Ohio State and was one of the top offensive linemen available. An injury during his final season at Ohio State caused him to fall in the draft, but that fall will likely lead to him blocking for one of the best quarterbacks in league history.
Mike Jones of The Athletic believes the Chiefs' selection of Simmons with the 32nd overall pick was the draft pick with the best value for Kansas City. Jones noted that the fact that Simmons was available late in the first round makes him a steal for the Chiefs.
"Why was the 32nd pick such a great value? Because through the first five games of his second season for the Buckeyes, Simmons looked like a lock for All-America honors and displayed such dominance with his blend of athleticism, strength and instincts that most draft analysts started projecting him as a top-five pick," Jones said.
"But a midseason patella tendon injury that required surgery caused his draft stock to take a hit. But the Chiefs believe he’s on track to regain full strength and count themselves fortunate that Simmons fell into their laps."
Simmons falling to the Chiefs in the other round could be a case of the rich getting richer. However, considering the state of the Chiefs' offensive line, it may just be a lifeline for Kansas City until they figure things out along the rest of their offensive line.
Kansas City has reason to be excited after adding Simmons to a roster with few holes. Still, the Chiefs are banking on their offensive line having a bounce-back season, as they cannot afford to continue letting Mahomes get hit the way he did last season and expect to win the Super Bowl.
Simmons' addition could be just what the Chiefs needed to spark improvement along their offensive line.
Be sure to follow us on X (Twitter) @KCChiefsOnSI and @Domminchella to never miss another breaking news story again.
Click here to let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
More must-reads:
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
The New York Rangers are adding to their forward depth ahead of their upcoming training camp. The Rangers are entering a new chapter of their organization under new head coach Mike Sullivan. After missing the postseason last year, the organization is trying to rebound and respond accordingly in 2025 and 2026. Former Stanley Cup champion forward Conor Sheary is the latest player to join the new-look Rangers. The veteran forward agreed to a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the club and will look to earn an NHL deal with his performance in training camp and the preseason. Sheary is a veteran of 593 NHL games. Originally an undrafted free agent, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins after completing his collegiate career. Following a year with the Penguins' AHL affiliate, he forced his way onto the NHL squad after posting 36 points in his first 30 games of the 2015-2016 season at the AHL level. His debut NHL season went better than ever expected, and he was a key part of the Penguins' lineup that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. Sheary's coach at the time, both at the AHL and NHL levels, was Mike Sullivan. Now, he'll get the chance to reunite with the coach under whom he won two championships. In addition to playing for the Penguins, Sheary has played for three other NHL franchises. The Pens dealt him to the Buffalo Sabres before the 2018-2019 campaign, but he would return to Pittsburgh the following season at the trade deadline. After his second stint with the Penguins, he joined the Washington Capitals. He played three seasons in Washington, D.C. before landing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he spent the past two years. Over his 593 career games, he's compiled 124 goals and 143 assists for 267 points. His best NHL season came during the 2016-2017 campaign, his second in the league. He scored 23 goals and added 30 assists for 53 points in 61 regular-season games.
Ichiro Suzuki made sure to call out the lone Hall of Fame voter who left him off their ballot at Sunday’s induction ceremony. Ichiro infamously fell one vote short of a unanimous induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the unidentified voter who snubbed him was a major talking point when results were announced. Ichiro himself took the snub in stride, and he publicly invited the voter over to his house for a “chat.” During his hilarious Hall of Fame speech on Sunday, Ichiro brought up the vote, and publicly revoked that invitation. “3,000 hits or 262 hits in one season are achievements recognized by the writers — well, all but one of you,” Ichiro said. “And by the way, the offer for that writer to have dinner at my home has now expired.” The crowd on hand for the induction ceremony absolutely loved the jab, and it drew a rousing ovation. Ichiro delivered his entire speech in English and had several other great one-liners. His remarks were well-received by the Cooperstown crowd. Ichiro was an obvious Hall of Fame pick. He tallied 3,089 career hits and a lifetime .311 average, and that does not even account for his numbers in Japan. The one voter who left him off their ballot deserved to be roasted.
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes continued his charge toward the National League Cy Young Award on Sunday afternoon, pitching six shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 6-0 win. It also completed an utterly dominant month of July that saw his performance reach an entirely new level, even for him. Including Sunday's start against Arizona, Skenes made five starts in July and threw 27 innings. He allowed just two runs in those innings, and both of them came on one swing of the bat in a July 11 start at Minnesota, where he allowed a two-run home run against Trevor Larnach. Other than that one swing, nobody scored a single run against Skenes in the month, including his one inning of work in the 2025 All-Star game. Overall, his ERA in July was a microscopic 0.67 with a 0.88 WHIP, while striking out 36 batters (12 per nine innings) and walking just three. It is almost impossible for a pitcher to be more dominant than that over a single month. He has also yet to allow a first-inning run in any start this season. All of this has only strengthened his argument for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award. Through the end of July, his ERA for the season is down to just 1.83, while he leads the National League in ERA, FIP (fielding independent pitching) and WAR (Wins Above Replacement), while trailing only Philadelphia's Zack Wheeler in WHIP (0.89 to 0.90). Sunday was the 45th start of his career, with his career ERA now sitting at 1.89. That is the third-lowest of any pitcher in baseball since ERA became an official stat in both leagues. He is sandwiched between a bunch of pitchers who played before the live-ball era. In other words, nobody watching baseball today has ever seen anything like this to start a career. The only thing working against him this season is that the Pirates offense has been consistently bad, so even with his dominance, he only owns a 6-8 record, while the Pirates are just 11-11 overall in his starts. That is a knock on the Pirates offense. Not him.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!