2. Ohio State OT Josh Simmons
Measurables - 6’5 - 323 lbs - 33” Arms
Simmons is perhaps the biggest question mark in this entire draft. After sustaining a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that robbed him of an excellent start to his 2024 season, Simmons has to prove to teams that he is fully healthy and ready to play in 2025.
A patellar injury is no joke, arguably worse than an ACL tear, but so far, Simmons has impressed teams with how he is moving and the trust he is showing in his knee. While the Chiefs would likely not play Simmons in 2025 after signing Jaylen Moore to a contract this offseason and Jawaan Taylor manning the right side of the line, having a guy like Simmons you could plug in and trust that he’ll play at a high level is quite the luxury to have.
Anyways.. here's over 1 minute of Josh Simmons being a stud.. pic.twitter.com/jKjbfixtUN
— Price Carter (@priceacarter) April 18, 2025
Without the injury concerns, Simmons would probably be a top 10-15 pick this year based on his talent, experience, and size. He’s got really fluid movement inside the box and is light on his feet to play in space and slide against speed rushers.
His hand placement is nearly perfect every snap and is more positional than powerful. Simmons excels at pass protection but needs some more refining on his run blocks and pushing defenders back, nothing a little time in a professional weight room can’t fix. At pick No. 31, the Chiefs selecting Simmons would be a steal that they may have to wait a year to pay off.
3. Ole Miss DT Walter Nolan
Measurables - 6’4 - 300 lbs - 32 ½” Arms
The No. 1 overall recruit in high school, Nolan did nothing but wreak havoc in college, both at Texas A&M for two years and this past year at Ole Miss.
Nolan has NFL-starting size, but his physical traits won’t blow anyone away. He wins on the inside with wicked explosiveness and a twitched-up ferocity that beats blockers when singled up. He’s got great speed off the snap and has enough power to shove opponents out of his way.
Nolan plays big, allowing him to absorb double teams and create mismatches for teammates, which would be a welcome sign on the inside for Chris Jones, who is usually the one getting doubled and sometimes triple-teamed.
Walter Nolan!!!! pic.twitter.com/9uA8f9HcTb
— Phillip Dillingham (@phillipdilling1) April 2, 2025
Nolan needs to play with more consistent hands to stay clean, and he sometimes can disengage from a block too quickly, rather than seeing the play through. Like any college pass-rusher, Nolan needs refinement and a little more diversity in his technique, but his run defense is among the best in this class.
He doesn’t have the longest arms in the world, but when he grabs hold of you, that’s the end of the road. Nolan excelled in two different defensive systems in college and has the traits to put it all together at the next level.