PFF Names Ohio State OT as NFL Draft Player to Watch

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The 2024 NFL Draft picks haven’t suited up for their first practice of training camp, but Pro Football Focus already has found a 2025 NFL Draft prospect for the Green Bay Packers.

Ohio State’s Josh Simmons.

“He’s a bit shorter than average, at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, but his arm length looks longer than his height suggests,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “Simmons also has great knee bend and balance, quick footwork and a patient pass-blocking style. I am a big fan of his potential and could see him being a Packers type of player if Jordan Morgan ends up at guard.”

The San Diego native, a consensus four-star recruit, started his career at San Diego State. He redshirted in 2021 and started 13 games at right tackle at San Diego State in 2022 before transferring to Ohio State and starting 13 games at left tackle in 2023.

In 2023, 140 offensive tackles who are eligible for the 2025 draft played at least 200 pass-protecting snaps. Simmons tied for sixth in that group in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, a metric that measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap.

Moving the bar, 61 played at least 400 pass-protecting snaps. Simmons was one of four who did not give up a sack.

Simmons also snuck inside the top one-third in PFF’s run-blocking grades.

“He's freaky athletic. That's the one thing I take away from him. He’s freaky athletic, and he works very hard,” offensive tackle Josh Fryar said. “He moves like none other, and it's kind of crazy to see his athleticism.”

As he felt more and more comfortable in the position switch, Simmons played his best ball at the end of the season, which is why there is some first-round hype building.

“I think it was just awareness,” Simmons said. “Physically, obviously, you’ve got to be ready, but mentally, that’s where you’ve got to start tightening up a little bit. You start playing in those Notre Dame games, those Penn State games, you realize a penalty like that can destroy the whole game. Once you look at it through that lens, you know that those are a no-no, it can’t happen.”

At San Diego State in 2022, he was guilty of 17 penalties and PFF charged him with four sacks. At Ohio State, he was guilty of seven penalties and the aforementioned zero sacks. More than that, during the final four games, he was guilty of zero penalties and two pressures.

“Just about everything,” Simmons said of where he’s looking to improve. “In terms of physical attributes, I can move really strong and stuff like that. But there’s a lot more to work on to even come close to what I can (be), for me being able to help the team. Technique, awareness, just everything. Communication, I think that’s the biggest thing. When you’re in those games, you’ve got to be able to call it out, a pressure might come.”

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