The Arizona Cardinals need Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 draft

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is no stranger to the spotlight. He is the son of one of the greatest wideouts of all time in Marvin Harrison, was a highly touted four-star recruit, and is coming off a legendary 2022 season that had NFL draft pundits drooling. He already entered the season as the odds-on favorite to be the first wide receiver taken in the 2024 NFL draft and ever since a strangely quiet performance against Indiana, he has been a near unstoppable force.

Marvin Harrison Jr. rattled off a combined 12 receptions, 286 yards, and 3 touchdowns in the last two weeks. Over his college career Harrison has demonstrated every skill set one could ask for out of a wide receiver, but the one on display recently has been his ability as a deep threat.

In Week 2, Marvin Harrison Jr. recorded a career long touchdown of 71 yards and he already broke this mark when he had a 75-yard touchdown against Western Kentucky on Saturday. It is still worth paying attention to how Marvin Harrison Jr. performs against stronger opponents, but he looks every bit the difference maker that a team like the Arizona Cardinals so desperately needs.

It is rare that a wide receiver has the potential to go in the top two picks of the NFL draft. The last wide receiver to be drafted in the top two is Calvin Johnson way back in 2007. It is a tier reserved for generational talents.

Despite lofty expectations, Marvin Harrison Jr. has proven that he belongs in that rarified air. When an NFL draft analyst concedes that “there isn’t much to critique” after watching every snap Harrison played in 2022, fire alarms should go off indicating that this is a player in a class of his own.  

If the Arizona Cardinals find themselves picking at the top, they should not hesitate to select Harrison.

The last few years in the NFL have proved the importance of having a top tier target. Tom Brady had Mike Evans in 2020, Matthew Stafford had Cooper Kupp in 2021, and Patrick Mahomes had both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce to help win him his two Super Bowls. History has provided us with the cold hard fact that pairing an elite quarterback with an elite receiving threat is a recipe for winning.

Marvin Harrison Jr. has the potential to be a game breaker and would elevate the offense whether it is helmed by Kyler Murray or someone else. With Marquise Brown’s contract expiring at the end of this season the Cardinals could find themselves with a receiving room devoid of talent. Harrison Jr. is a ready-made number one wide receiver who can insert himself right away and excel. Importantly, the Cardinals would also acquire an elite talent on an affordable and controllable contract for the first five seasons of Harrison’s career. NFL teams have provided the Cardinals the blueprint to success, and it is now on them to execute.