Two ESPN analysts just crowned Chiefs’ Josh Simmons pick as best of the draft

Nothing is certain about any draft prospect, but it sure feels nice when everyone seems to love what the Kansas City Chiefs have done. The Chiefs took a big swing with their first overall pick, and as it turns out, the move wasn't as debatable as it was made out to be in retrospect.

ESPN unveiled its list of expert opinions on their single favorite pick in the entire draft. Given that there were 257 total selections, you'd think the angles would be quite varied, but the Chiefs' pick of offensive tackle Josh Simmons was atop the list for two different analysts.

The Chiefs selected left tackle Josh Simmons with their first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Given his injury history—coming off a shortened season due to a torn patellar tendon—every other team allowed the Ohio State product to slide to the very bottom of the first round.

Kansas City’s gamble on Josh Simmons is drawing rave reviews.

With so many tackle-deficient franchises across the NFL landscape, it's surprising that someone with Simmons' tape and athleticism was passed over time and again. Those (in)actions could be considered telling as to how other teams viewed his medicals, but the Chiefs' training staff signed off on Simmons' progress and Brett Veach submitted the pick.

As it turns out, Veach wasn't the only one who loved the fact that Simmons fell to the Chiefs. ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler agreed and named Simmons as his favorite pick in the entire draft. NFL analyst Jason Reid agreed with him, which meant the Chiefs' choice to take Simmons was the favorite for two of the 17 total analysts.

Simmons profiled as a potential top 5 or 10 pick in a draft class, if healthy. That's the big risk here for the Chiefs, of course, and no one should pencil him in as a Week 1 starter. But given the Chiefs' attempts to fill the role in the past and his ceiling, the value and need was such an obvious match (and gift from the heavens in terms of his precipitous fall in the draft order).

The fall cost Simmons several million dollars in salary during his rookie deal, but the opportunity presented to him to protect Patrick Mahomes for the next half-decade should actually reap greater dividends down the road if he can work his way back to full strength. Veach is betting on it and the experts are believers as well.