DETROIT — The Arizona Cardinals selected Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Harrison Jr., son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison, was the team’s best receiver last year, recording 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 total touchdowns for the 2023 season, reports our news partner, 10tv.com (WBNS-TV) in Columbus. The year before, he caught 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The Cardinals were near the bottom of the league in points scored, averaging just under 20 a game as starting quarterback Kyler Murray only eight games because of a knee injury. The Cardinals were in desperate need of a No. 1 wide receiver after losing Hollywood Brown to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The 21-year-old’s college tape is littered with ridiculous grabs where he combines expert ball-tracking, calm contortion skills, and locking pliers for hands, NFL.com reports. His boundary footwork is NFL-level, and his ability to perform in the scramble drill will come in handy in his transition. Harrison’s yards after catch came more from speed and physical running than make-you-miss elusiveness in space, but at times, he was so far from defenders that he didn’t have to make many moves.
Marvin Harrison you are an Arizona Cardinal pic.twitter.com/uEDL7UFTNn
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) April 26, 2024
Harrison will see a familiar face when he arrives in Glendale, Arizona. Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., another former Buckeye, was selected with the sixth overall pick by Arizona last year.
Harrison won the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to the nation’s top receiver each year. He also set a record this year by becoming the first Buckeye in program history to have 15 100-yard receiving games. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist as well.
©2024 Cox Media Group
