(AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs selected Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons with the final pick in the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night, giving quarterback Patrick Mahomes the blindside protector he was so sorely lacking last season.
Simmons missed most of last season after tearing a patellar tendon in his knee, and he didn’t work out at the scouting combine, which may have left some teams wary of using a high draft pick on him. But the Chiefs were comfortable with their medical checks and wound up using the No. 32 overall pick on him.
Mahomes was clearly happy with the pick, tweeting a sunglasses emoji moments before it was announced.
The Chiefs tried to shore up left tackle last season, when they picked Kingsley Suamataia in the second round. But he was soon benched, and Wanya Morris fared little better in his place. By the end of the season, the Chiefs had resorted to using star guard Joe Thuney at the tackle spot so that Mahomes would have enough time in the pocket.
Just before the Chiefs went on the clock, they swapped slots with the Eagles — the team that beat them so soundly in the Super Bowl to deny the three-peat. By moving back one spot, the Chiefs also picked up a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
The Eagles picked Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, leaving Kansas City to fill its biggest positional need.
