Marvin Harrison Jr. It was one of the best fortunes ever received.
As a result, even though he was not drafted before the 2024 NFL Draft teams, he was still picked fourth overall by the Arizona Cardinals. The first three picks were Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniel and Drake Maye, all franchise quarterbacks off to notable starts for their careers.
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There was no way Harrison was going to fall flat in Arizona…until he did. On Saturday, ESPN reported that Harrison would be traded after Sunday’s games. At the time of the announcement, it was not certain which team Harrison would go to and at what salary, Harrison’s only career was in Arizona.
Of all the possible outcomes for Harrison’s NFL career, being done with the Cardinals, and after only 33 games far less than Arizona put into it, was almost unthinkable.
I don’t know if the prospect would be lacking. At least in the first NFL book.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. He will reportedly be traded next week by the Arizona Cardinals.
(AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Marvin Harrison Jr. he was an elite prospect
Harrison was a phenomenal college player. In 2022 he had 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Then his quarterback, CJ Stroud, came to the NFL. And in 2023 Harrison had 1,211 yards for 14 touchdowns.
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It’s not like Harrison is dominating a bad match. He had two 100 yard games against Michigan. He had 185 and 162 tackles against Penn State. In the bowl game against Georgia, he had 120 yards and two touchdowns. The competition was high-level and the production was set up ridiculously.
Harrison not working in huddles or any drills was unusual, but the results at Ohio State weren’t so good. As has been said. No reasonable analyst opposed the Cardinals’ selection of Harrison. He was widely considered the top non-quarterback in that draft class.
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Then the results never came. He had a respectable 885 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, though 130 yards and two touchdowns came in one game against the Rams and that proved to be an outsider. That was Harrison’s second game, and he had one 100-yard game over the rest of his Cardinals career.
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In Harrison’s second season, since he died due to injury, Michael Wilson had three 100-yard games and another with 99. Wilson simply looked better on offense than the platinum prospect from Ohio State, which was terrible. Harrison had just 608 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games last season. A new coaching staff has entered. Wilson signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension in September, a sign of how much the Cardinals value him.
And when Harrison’s season got off to a slow start, it seemed clear he could be traded. There were no signs that an eruption was coming.
Harrison is looking forward to a new start
Harrison had one catch in two games this season. Videos of his routes, in which he wasn’t explosive or just wasn’t playing hard enough, went viral.
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A player who could not join scouts before could not separate. The superstar in college who routinely put up 100 yards was the fourth option, at best, in the Cardinals’ offense. This season, Arizona has completed 85,000 runs with 5,000 runs.
Harrison could still emerge as a good NFL receiver. He was four years old. It’s hot in Arizona but sometimes the player trade is exciting. Maybe he will do better in his new home. There are still great reasons for expectations, though it’s hard to remember those marks after his mediocrity with the Cardinals.
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It may still be done for Harrison, but elsewhere if this happens. When Arizona drafted Harrison, the Cardinals celebrated. They couldn’t figure out that they had thrown in the towel before Harrison’s third half over.