The first night of the NFL Draft is done and dusted. It’s celebration time for all those who got picked in the first round. And for the ones who are still waiting for their name to be called, just hang on tight. Even Tom Brady was drafted as late as the sixth round, 199th overall. Anyway, as the teams made their first picks, the Kansas City Chiefs surprised everybody. The Chiefs pulled a little move late on Thursday night by swapping their 31st pick. Brett Veach handed their pick to the team that handed them a rare loss last season. Hunt’s crew traded down with the Eagles, sliding to pick No. 32 and snagging an extra pick at No. 164. Honestly, it wasn’t a move many were expecting.

KC brass used that No. 32 pick to draft Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons. The Chiefs did need to improve their O-line, and this was their first move toward doing just that. As the Chiefs’ front office was in Green Bay, it seems like Patrick Mahomes was glued to his TV screen too, probably at home. Because right after the Chiefs made their pick, the QB couldn’t resist heading to X to drop a post. But Mahomes didn’t write anything. He just dropped a “😎” emoji, leaving fans to wonder what it meant.

By dropping a wordless response, Mahomes was like, ‘good luck figuring that out.’ The Chiefs’ QB clearly can’t wait to get back on the field and avenge the team’s three-peat loss. A day before the draft, Mahomes spoke to reporters about how the team felt during the offseason after that tough loss. “You have that bad taste in your mouth from the last time you stepped on the football field, and you kind of have to hear about it all offseason,” said the 29-year-old. 

As Kansas City looks to put the brutal past behind it, GM Brett Veach made sure to add a key piece to the roster. But is it a smart move, considering Josh Simmons is still recovering from an injury? Well, here is what the Chiefs’ head coach has to say about it.

Andy Reid talks Josh Simmons’ health after drafting

Josh Simmons was not commonly considered a top draft prospect, so the Chiefs‘ decision to draft him came as a surprise. The reason he slipped down the draft board was his knee injury. Last October, the Ohio State offensive tackle injured his knee in a game against Oregon, suffering a torn patellar tendon. But it looks like the stars are aligning in his favor.

Talking about his injury, Andy Reid said, “He’ll definitely be ready for training camp. He’ll be able to do some stuff before then.” Multiple analysts throughout the league believed Simmons would go in the early rounds even before the draft. “Several teams agree: Josh Simmons had the best tape of any OT last year. And they aren’t very concerned with recovery from the torn patellar tendon,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler posted on X.

HC Reid is positive and confident about his first pick. Speaking to the media after announcing the pick, he shared, “I mean, he would have been a top five or ten pick, and so it’s a position that we can use an addition of good players, and in particular at the left tackle spot, if and when he can jump in there and do that.” Andy is already planning to put him in the left tackle spot. “So he’s flexible, and he can play any spot… We’ll see where it goes.“

So, despite his draft stock falling, Josh Simmons ended up with Patrick Mahomes and Co. Now, it will be interesting to see how his rookie season kicks off. Will he be able to fully recover from his injury and contribute to some wins, or will he have to sit on the bench for a while?