Injuries Didn't Scare Chiefs Off Of These Prospects

The Kansas City Chiefs' draft class was one of the best in the National Football League. Over the years, we have seen the continuous success that the Chiefs' front office has had when it comes to drafting players of need, and this year was no different.

The Chiefs selected seven new players through seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Addressing both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, general manager Brett Veach has once again given the Chiefs a skilled player to get the franchise back to the top of the NFL.

Two drafted players, however, raised some concern, as both offensive lineman Josh Simmons and wide receiving Jalen Royals dealt with injuries last season. Simmons dealt with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, and Royals missed the rest of the season with a foot injury after seven games played.

Simmons was only active in six games last season for the Ohio State Buckeyes, but was phenomenal in that time frame. Before the injury, the league had a consensus that he would be a top pick, but due to the injury, his stock fell, allowing the Chiefs to pounce on him.

With high hopes and extended rehab for Simmons, head coach Andy Reid fully believes that Simmons will be ready to go by training camp and will have a chance to compete for a role on the squad.

"He'll definitely be ready for training camp," Reid said. "He'll be able to do some stuff up until then." "What you heard from the guys announcing this is true, he would have been a top five or ten pick. It's a position we could use some good players at, just in addition of good players. In particular, the left tackle spot, if and when he can jump in there. He's flexible so he can play any spot, we felt like he was a true left tackle."

For Royals on the other hand, the tape and statistics show that he was a plus player in this draft before his injury, as he led his team with 55 receptions, 834 receiving yards (15.2 per, 6 TDs) all while starting in just seven games.

With a higher projection than where he was drafted, the Chiefs could be getting another steal from the draft in the fourth round. His injury shouldn't limit him in his growth as a player, or else the franchise wouldn't have pulled the trigger on drafting him.

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