Ohio State Standout's NFL Draft Position Becoming Abundantly Clear

This Ohio State Buckeyes standout is beginning to see his NFL Draft position become very clear.
Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons (71) lines up beside offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) during the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. Ohio State won 23-3.
Sep 2, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Josh Simmons (71) lines up beside offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) during the NCAA football game at Indiana University Memorial Stadium. Ohio State won 23-3. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Heading into the 2024 college football season, Ohio State Buckeyes star Josh Simmons was widely viewed as one of the best offensive tackles in the country and was considered a potential top 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, a midseason knee injury seemed to change everything for Simmons, as he suffered a torn patellar tendon that put his draft status in question.

Over the last couple of months, Simmons' draft stock has vacillated to significant degrees, but up until recently, most had settled on the Ohio State product going somewhere in the 20s.

But now, Simmons appears to be rocketing up draft boards, as he has met with both the New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, who are picking ninth and 16th overall. He will also be at the NFL Draft on April 24, indicating he will almost surely be a top 20 selection.

This upcoming draft class is full of good offensive linemen, with tackles Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks and Josh Conerly all projected to go somewhere in the first round.

Taking that into consideration, there may be some teams who will be a bit leery of Simmons' medical records, but because he is so talented, there will clearly be a handful of clubs willing to take the risk.

Simmons is one of many Buckeyes players who are expected to hear their names called over the first two days of the draft later this month, and he may actually be the first Ohio State representative to fly off the board in 2025.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.