"Nothing is elite" - Chris Simms thinks Alabama's Will Anderson is overrated ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Will Anderson is one of the highest-rated prospects on most boards ahead of the 2023 NFL draft. He is projected by most around the league to be at least a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. He is expected to be one of the first defensive players selected on draft day and could even be the first overall non-quarterback pick.

The massive hype around Will Anderson came as a result of his impressive college football career with the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of the best defensive programs annually. While most agree that he's one of the safest picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, apparently not everyone feels the same way about him.

NFL analyst Chris Simms recently gave a hot take regarding Will Anderson during an "Unbuttoned" episode:

"There's no way he goes before any of the four guys we have talked about, there's no way. This is not, this is not me again, like maybe Kayvon Thibodeaux last year, I was like, I don't see it. There's some things I see I like, but I just, I don't see it. For me, right?

"This is one where I go, this is obvious that nobody's going to be able to watch his film and go, it's as good as the four guys we just talked about. There's no way, those other guys have multiple things they do elite, right? This guy has a lot that he does good, but nothing is elite. Nothing."

Chris Simms has Will Anderson as his 5th EDGE in this Draft 😳😳

“I am almost willing to bet big there is NO WAY he goes higher than the 4 guys (Edges) we just talked about (T Wilson, L Ness, N Smith, W McDonald IV).”

(@NBCSports)

🎥 See his entire breakdown:… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/EJY6Q1kMVU

Chris Simms boldly claimed that Will Anderson is the fifth-best edge rusher in the 2023 NFL draft class, at best. He currently ranks four positional prospects higher, including Tyree Wilson of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Lukas Van Ness of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nolan Smith of the Georgia Bulldogs, and Will McDonald IV of the Iowa State Cyclones.

Does Will Anderson have bust potential in the 2023 NFL Draft?

Will Anderson was one of the best overall players in all of college football during his incredible 2021 season. He finished the year in fifth place in the Heisman Trophy voting after recording 101 total tackles, including 31 for a loss and 17.5 sacks.

Anderson showed signs of regression in his production during the 2022 college football season as he received much more attention from opposing blocking schemes. His total statistics were basically cut in half, recording 51 tackles, 17 for a loss, and 10 sacks.

While the drop in production may be a bit of a concern, Anderson turned in an excellent performance at the 2023 NFL Combine to settle most of the doubts. He ranked towards the top in many positional categories, while also possessing the size and speed combination that NFL teams desire in an edge rusher.

While every draft prospect comes with a certain amount of risk, there's a good reason why Anderson is being hyped. He's as good a bet as any player this year to develop into a superstar in the NFL, despite Chris Simms' bold opinion of him being severely overrated.