ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported that multiple teams around the league had Marvin Harrison Jr.'s trade value pegged closer to a fourth-round pick, rather than the second-round pick the Houston Texans ultimately gave the Arizona Cardinals.
“Multiple teams believe that Harrison, despite his billing as the 2024 No. 4 overall pick, was probably worth a fourth-round pick when considering his declining play and his lack of competition on routes at times this season,” Fowler said.
So, in other words, multiple teams believe the Cardinals received much more than Harrison was actually worth, meaning they think Arizona won the trade.
Texans overpaid Cardinals for a struggling Marvin Harrison Jr.
There's something to be said about the fact that the Cardinals whiffed on this top-five pick so badly that, just a few years later, the debate now lies in whether Harrison is worth a second- or fourth-round pick.
Ultimately, the answer is second because that's the price at least one team was willing to pay. But it does raise the question of whether the Texans were bidding against themselves.
We initially didn't want the Cardinals to trade Harrison with the belief that they'd be selling him at an all-time low -- closer in line with that fourth-round pick expectation. But considering the Cardinals were able to flip a draft bust into a second-round pick, essentially giving themselves a do-over with a one-round penalty, makes this an absolute steal that they had to take.
Houston is betting on Harrison looking closer to the Ohio State receiver that became a coveted top draft prospect, reuniting him with quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Cardinals appear to have benefited from that optimism that the pairing will work out. The Texans clearly valued Harrison higher than the rest of the teams around the league. That bailed the Cardinals out of their draft mistake.
Without significant draft capital, they'd be forced into a lose-lose scenario. Stay the course with Harrison, losing the trust of Jacoby Brissett, risking both a disgruntled receiver and declining trade value. Or, trade a 24-year-old who's a former top-five pick for something closer in value to what that fourth-round pick other teams around the league valued him at. This deal with the Texans prevented all of that from happening.
While the Harrison draft bust was a huge setback in the rebuild, this deal helped soften that blow. Some may see the draft pedigree and immediately declare Arizona the loser of this trade. But things change quickly in the NFL, and it's not accurate to analyze production based on where players were selected. Just look at Tom Brady or, more recently, Brock Purdy!
Looking at it through the context of what Harrison has done for the Cardinals lately, it’s a borderline miracle they landed a second-round pick, let alone one projected near the top of the round with Houston off to a 1-4 start.
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