The Arizona Cardinals used their No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on arguably the best wideout in the class, selecting Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State. The Cardinals lost Marquise Brown in free agency, but replace him with a dynamic receiving threat who will soon become Kyler Murray's best friend.
As you may have expected, Harrison is the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout Marvin Harrison. Not only does the 21-year-old have elite lineage, but Harrison Jr. has put together a stellar collegiate career at Ohio State that has him as one of, if not the top receiver in this class. The reigning Fred Biletnikoff Award winner is also a two-time unanimous All-American and the latest star pass catcher who has come out of the Buckeyes program in recent seasons, joining Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Garrett Wilson. Harrison declared for the NFL Draft after a 2023 season where he caught 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, which matched his career high from the prior season.
Here's what the Cardinals are getting in Harrison Jr., including his scouting report, pro comparison, career accolades, fantasy fit and overall NFL outlook.
NFL Draft grade: B+
"He has the tools to be a star receiver in this league. The Cardinals had to get a receiver, so it works. He will be a big-time playmaker in their offense. I think Malik Nabers will be better, but it''s close." -- Pete Prisco
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Fantasy football outlook
You're looking at the Cardinals' go-to No. 1 option for the foreseeable future. He'll pair nicely with Kyler Murray, who has a history of feeding his top targets and has always seemed partial to bigger receivers in the red zone. The path to Harrison becoming an annual top 12 Fantasy receiver is pretty clear in Arizona. He'll be among the most trendy picks in 2024 seasonal leagues as a third-rounder with the idea being he'll contend for 10 targets per game.
Dynasty spin
The bedrock of a long-time contending Fantasy team includes having a No. 1 Fantasy receiver who consistently performs at a high level. Harrison carries that expectation with him after consecutive seasons prolifically leading Ohio State's receiving game with two different quarterbacks. He's arguably the most talented receiver to enter the NFL since Ja'Marr Chase and will be a popular choice as the 1.01 in rookie-only drafts in one-QB leagues and is potentially the 1.01 in SuperFlex/two-QB as well.
Marvin Harrison Jr. NFL Draft prospect profile
- Age as of Week 1: 22 years old
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 209 pounds
- Arm length: 31 7/8 inches
- Wingspan: 77 1/4 inches
Comparable body type: A.J. Green
CBS Sports prospect ranking
Position: No. 1 WR | Overall: No. 2 | Rating: 93.83 (All-Pro)
NFL comparison: A.J. Green
Comparing him to his dad is kind of tacky, so let's ignore Senior and choose someone else. With speed being the only difference, Harrison's game is right on point with that of A.J. Green's. Green was faster, but both were silky smooth movers with incredible nuance and route-running, capable of getting open with precise footwork. It's not a stretch to say Harrison could have a similar career to that of Green, but you shouldn't expect Harrison to play at the same top speed as Green did.
Scouting report
Marvin Harrison Jr. is arguably the best player in the entire draft class. Father was an NFL Hall of Famer and Harrison Jr. has a chance to be even better because of his physical gifts -- size, speed, huge catch radius and the ability to win running a variety of routes. When he is locked in he's all but unstoppable.
Accolades
- Career: 2-time unanimous All-American (1st from OSU since Orlando Pace)
- 1st player in Big Ten history with 14+ rec TD in multiple seasons
Strengths
- Incredibly strong at the top of routes; he's able to create separation vs. physical CBs
- Hands-catcher with an enormous catch radius
- Can stack CBs off the line of scrimmage and has the shiftiness to create separation on every route
Weaknesses
- Did have a few focus drops during the 2023 season
- Showed frustrations at times at the level of QB play in 2023
College stats breakdown
| Year | Games | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards per catch | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12 | 114 | 67 | 1211 | 18.1 | 14 |
| 2023 v Top-25 | 3 | 31 | 19 | 312 | 16.4 | 2 |
| 2022-2023 | 25 | 232 | 144 | 2474 | 17.2 | 28 |
CBS Sports fantasy takes an in-depth look at Marvin Harrison Jr. as a draft prospect.
