The NFL Draft is a time for traditions.
There’s Mel Kiper Jr.’s mock drafts.
There’s the fans in the host city booing Roger Goodell.
And there’s Chris Simms’ hot takes.
On Monday, the former NFL quarterback-turned-NBC Sports analyst revealed his first scorcher of the 2024 NFL Draft season, ranking Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. as his No. 3 wide receiver, placing him in his second tier of players at the position behind LSU’s Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.
For comparison, all four of ESPN’s draft analysts rank Harrison as their No. 1 wide receiver, as do The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Pro Football Focus, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, CBS.com, and just about every other non-Simms source.
Here’s my Top 5 WRs. Rankings based on film.
Awesome group. So much to like with Nabers, Thomas, and Harrison. I just think the LSU guys are able to separate more and run by you better than Harrison pic.twitter.com/GsqoKflRYX— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 18, 2024
Most draft analysts don’t have the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner ranked any lower than their third overall prospect, regardless of position, with some ranking him as high as No. 1. Nevertheless, Simms defended ranking the son of the Hall of Fame wide receiver as the No. 3 player at his position, stating that it had more to do with how highly he thinks of Nabers and Thomas than it does a perceived slight of Harrison.
“It’s what I believe. But I really like this player,” Simms insisted on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. “Marvin Harrison’s [No.] 1 in a good amount of years… this is a really good damn football player and worthy of this top 10, top-15 conversation. I don’t think he is the physical beast or freak that the two other guys are on the explosive aspect of the position.”
While Simms’ take regarding Harrison might be more nuanced than his No. 3 wide receiver ranking indicates, the reality is that draft analysis isn’t exactly an area where he gets the benefit of the doubt. Throughout his career as an analyst, the former Texas star has made a habit of going against the grain with takes like ranking Zach Wilson ahead of Trevor Lawrence in 2021, not including Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in his top five wide receivers in the 2022 class and touting Will Anderson Jr. — another consensus top prospect — as his No. 5 edge defender just a year ago.
In each of these instances, Simms’ analysis was quickly rendered incorrect by the on-field results. And while there’s something to be said about being willing to take risks, at a certain point, such a track record impacts the way others interpret your analysis moving forward.
Not that Simms likely cares. He’s always presented himself as confident in his analysis and at the end of the day, the checks still clear. In an increasingly saturated industry, the 43-year-old has certainly found a way to make his draft takes stand out — albeit not in a way that most would want them to.
