Getty Image / Aaron J Thornton
The NFL Draft is finally just a day away, after months of seemingly never-ending punditry that will ultimately all be meaningless year from now. Chris Simms reporting that most NFL people he talk to has LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers ranked ahead of Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr on their draft boards.
The former NFL quarterback and NBC Sports analyst made the claim on Twitter on Wednesday.
Marvin Harrison Jr is a really damn good prospect.
Malik Nabers is special.
An overwhelming majority of NFL people I’ve heard from have Nabers rated higher than Harrison— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) April 24, 2024
I’m not saying he’s lying. But, this seems pretty dubious. Make no mistake, both of them, plus Washington WR Rome Odunze, are fantastic wide receiver prospects that would go off the board first at the position in many other drafts. But, is this really what NFL teams are thinking?
Marvin Harrison Jr. has been the top wide receiver, and arguably top prospect, in this draft for well over a year now after a stellar sophomore campaign at Ohio State. There was nothing he did on the field at Ohio State in his junior season in 2023 to change that.
The son of the NFL Hall of Famer, Marvin Harrison, MHJR had 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in just 12 games as a junior. Those numbers are nearly identical to those he put up as a sophomore. Again, nothing actually happened to make him slip.
When you factor in his elite size, exceptional movement skills, natural feel for the position, and hands, there’s nothing to really dock him on to move him behind Malik Nabers.
Make no mistake, Nabers is fantastic. The true junior had 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns catching passes from Heisman Trophy winner and likely top-five pick Jayden Daniels. As I said above, in many drafts, he’s a surefire choice as the top wide receiver on the board. But, I find it unlikely that he will be drafted ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. on Thursday night in Detroit.