In the desert, Marvin Harrison Jr. is leaving quite an impression.
The Arizona Cardinals selected wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall choice of the NFL Draft in April because they believe he is a generational talent. Harrison appears to be impressing his teammates already, including wide receiver Michael Wilson.
Wilson used a fascinating term to characterize Harrison throughout their discussion: perspicacious.
Wilson was described as “very perceptive and always seeking information,” by Darren Urban of the Cardinals’ official website.
Harrison accepted the term as a complement, but he didn’t even pretend to understand what it meant.
“It’s awesome, whatever that means,” a beaming Harrison remarked.
Being perceptive entails being very aware of and discriminating from your environment. It also denotes a high degree of insight. Harrison has obviously already had a significant influence on his new ballclub, and he isn’t letting that alter who he is as a person.
Harrison remarked, “You come in and show respect to people who came before you, regardless of where you are drafted.” “Coming here with a big head wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. is probably going to be the top receiver for the Cardinals.
Before the NFL Draft, the Cardinals were in severe need of weapons, especially after Rondale Moore was traded and Marquise Brown was allowed to depart in free agency. For this reason, Harrison’s selection at No. 4 by Arizona surprised no one.
Harrison attended Ohio State for three seasons before making a breakthrough in 2022 as a sophomore, catching 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. Subsequently, he caught 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in the previous season.
The 21-year-old is remarkably large at 6-foot-4 and possesses lightning-fast speed. Harrison will most likely take over as quarterback Kyler Murray’s top receiver straight away given the Cardinals’ general lack of talent in their receiving group.
Wilson, of course, had a very successful rookie season of his own in 2023, catching 38 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Harrison enters the game because, despite his front-line status, he projects more as a No. 2 receiver.
With Harrison, Wilson and tight end Trey McBride, Arizona suddenly has a decent arsenal of pass-catchers at its disposal. Obviously, Harrison still has to prove himself, but he is considered a can’t-miss prospect and should be just fine on the professional level.
The Cardinals are aiming to rebound from a horrendous 4-13 campaign, but it should be noted that Murray missed nine games while recovering from a torn ACL. The Cards went a fairly respectable 3-5 after Murray’s return, indicating that they probably would have finished with more than four wins had he played the entire season.
Arizona appeared to be an up and coming team several years ago, especially after pairing top-flight receiver DeAndre Hopkins with Murray. However, injury issues derailed Hopkins’ brief stay in the desert, and Murray stagnated after a couple of very eye-opening campaigns to begin his NFL tenure.
We’ll see if Harrison can help elevate the Cardinals in the rough NFC West in 2024.
