It’s always a Sisyphean task to quantify an offensive lineman’s play, but anyone paying close attention to it could see that Josh Simmons took strides in the second half of last season – line-wide struggles in the Cotton Bowl aside.
If one buys into Pro Football Focus grades, Simmons had his highest-marked game against Minnesota (87.4) in Week 12. He only allowed three combined pressures in Ohio State’s final five regular season games.
“I think it was just awareness,” Simmons said of the jump he took. “The other thing is chemistry, knowing how (left guard Donovan Jackson) plays and the communications and how everything works.