The Green Bay Packers would take Josh Simmons if they had the chance to do the 2025 NFL draft over again, according to Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report. Davenport did a re-draft of the first round after their rookie seasons and notes that the 31st overall pick, Simmons, should not have fallen past pick 23.
Simmons was a left tackle from Ohio State. He fell in the draft because he was recovering from a season-ending injury. However, he was able to get on the field much earlier than anticipated.
The flashes that Simmons showed early, along with the positional value that a left tackle brings, would make it hard for him to fall too far in the draft.
Still, Simmons was a pick that presented risk and is still a pick that presents risk.
The Green Bay Packers Select Offensive Tackle Josh Simmons in 2025 Re-Draft
GettyKansas City Chiefs left tackle Josh Simmons goes to Green Bay Packers in a re-draft.
Simmons flashed, but he also only started eight games in his rookie season. He suffered a wrist injury and left the team for personal reasons during the middle of the year. Simmons should be healthy and handle the left tackle duties this year, but he showed up to training camp surprisingly underweight.
Matthew Golden only had 361 yards, so it is fair to criticize the pick and have the team go in a different direction. However, after their first seasons, there is just as good a chance that Simmons ends up as a long-term starter with all of his questions compared to Golden and his. The upside has just flashed more for Simmons, even if the entire sample is smaller.
The Wide Receiver that the Packers May Have Missed Out On
The player that the Packers might be kicking themselves for missing on is the Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden. Burden went with the 39th pick in the actual NFL draft, but was selected 26th overall in the re-draft.
The Packers are moving Jordan Morgan to left tackle and need a big season from Golden in year two, so taking a receiver might have been the right call. They just took the wrong one.
Burden had 652 yards in his rookie season with the Bears. While Golden was in a crowded wide receiver room, Burden entered the year behind D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Olamide Zaccheaus. Beyond that, the Bears have Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, so it was just as tough for Burden to get on the field.
More than that, Burden averaged 10.9 yards per target and 2.69 yards per route run. Meanwhile, Golden averaged 8.2 yards per target and 1.35 yards per route run. Burden was picking up nearly three yards per target more than Golden and was essentially doubling the production of Golden every time he ran a route.
To make matters even worse, he plays for the division rival Bears. Josh Simmons flashed, but Burden looks poised for a year two leap forward. The Packers could have upgraded a position of need, taken from the rivals, and stuck to their plan by selecting Burden. That is a tough miss.
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