George Karlaftis calls comparison between Josh Simmons, Trent Williams "fair"

The Chiefs drafted Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons in the first round, hoping to end a carousel at the position. Jason Kelce recently compared Simmons to 49ers veteran left tackle Trent Williams.

Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis, who went against Simmons in the offseason program, can see why Kelce said what he said.

“Jason knows what he’s talking about when he’s talking about alignment, right? But, you know, there’s definitely a lot of shades [of Williams] there,” Karlaftis told FS1’s Speak, via Charles Goldman of AtoZ Sports. “Just with the athleticism alone, his size, I think that’s a fair comparison, just off the intangibles alone, you know.”

That’s as far as Karlaftis was willing to go, though, with the comparison. Williams has played 15 seasons, made 11 Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro three times. Simmons has yet to play a down in the NFL.

“Let’s see how he develops,” Karlaftis said, pumping the brakes. “I think he has all the tools, the intangibles, and the work ethic to be as great as he wants to be. Yeah, it’s all about putting in the work at the end of the day. So, I would agree with Jason’s comparison, for sure.”

Simmons is returning from the patellar tendon he tore against Oregon on Oct. 12, which ended his final college season. He is expected to be fully cleared for training camp.