NFL Mock Draft: Chiefs Trade Up for Offensive Lineman

In this mock draft, the Kansas City Chiefs don't wait for a prospect to fall to them. Instead, they trade up for Josh Simmons.

Aug 3, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Josh Fryar (left) and Josh Simmons walk on the field befofre the first football practice of the 2023 season at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Doral Chenoweth-The Columbus Dispatch | Doral Chenoweth / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Kansas City Chiefs have the second to last pick in the first round after losing the Super Bowl to the Philadelphia Eagles. They're no stranger to picking near the end of the first round, as for the past couple of years, their trip to the Super Bowl is routine.

From the end of the first round, they've been able to select players like George Karlaftis and Xavier Worthy, who immediately had an impact on the team and look like they'll be Chiefs for many years to come.

Even with players like Worthy or Trent McDuffie, the Chiefs had to trade up in the draft to get them. With Patrick Mahomes, they traded up to get him as well. The Chiefs aren't afraid to move up in the draft if it means securing a prospect they must have on their team, and it usually works out for them.

Mike Band is a Next Gen Stats Research & Analytic who works for the NFL and has recently published the first iteration of his mock draft. In his mock draft, he predicts the Chiefs will trade up again for Josh Simmons, an offensive lineman prospect.

"The Chiefs jump up to No. 24 to secure a prospect they believe could be their next franchise left tackle, moving ahead of an expected OL run between picks 25 and 29. The last time the Chiefs came off a non-championship season, GM Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid made a similar move up the board to secure cornerback Trent McDuffie.

Recovering from an October patella tendon tear, Simmons' medical clearance will be paramount to his draft stock. When healthy, his combination of size, length and footwork match the prototype Veach and Reid typically look for in a franchise tackle", Band said.

This hypothetical trade-up would include the Chiefs giving up future draft compensation to the Houston Texans to move up, but it may be a worthy gamble for who might be the best offensive lineman prospect in this draft class.

In previous mock drafts, Simmons's name has also been linked to the Chiefs, but in this one, they don't want to take the risk of him going to a different team. They have every reason for doing so, as the offensive line is their biggest need, and they have to address it in the draft.

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