Is This the Year Arizona’s 2024 First Round Pick Becomes One of the NFL’s Elite Receivers?

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. enters his second season looking to improve upon his rookie season, in which, while it wasn’t bad by any means, it wasn’t as good as he was projected to be. However, the 2024 fourth overall pick has been working all offseason to potentially become one of the NFL’s elite receivers. Whether it was increasing muscle mass or working on his craft, Harrison Jr. prepares to shine bright for not only Arizona but for the entire league this upcoming season. Still, it begs the question of whether this upcoming season will be the season that Harrison Jr. joins the class of premier receivers in the NFL.

Before we can get into the potential that Harrison Jr. has for not only this upcoming season, but for his future in the NFL, we gotta evaluate his rookie season. Needless to say, his first regular season game left more to be desired. Harrison Jr. finished his debut with only one catch for four yards on three targets. One of his targets ended up being a drop as well. Considering the circumstances, when the Cardinals had the Buffalo Bills on the ropes in Buffalo, Harrison Jr.’s talents could’ve been put to good use, but were not, resulting in a Week One loss. However, while the first game jitters might’ve gotten to Harrison Jr., he went on to prove that it would not stick, as he would explode for what would end up being his best performance of the season, catching four passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-10 home win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week Two. From there, Harrison Jr. would go on to have solid performances, but nothing that deemed him as an elite receiver. He would finish his rookie season with 62 catches for 885 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. 

While these stats may be considered solid for your typical NFL receiver, it was abnormal to see a guy like Harrison Jr., who had been highly touted coming out of college, while also being the son of an NFL legend, to fall short of 1,000 yards in his rookie season. Granted, his father, Marvin Harrison Sr., flashed similar stats in his rookie season, but it would take him two more seasons to eventually reach the 1,000-yard mark and become a Hall of Fame-type receiver. In Harrison Jr.'s case, his rookie stats got overshadowed by the likes of the other receivers in the same draft class as him, like New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers and Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who both surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with more receptions. On top of that, Harrison Jr. wasn’t even the top target on his own team, as Arizona tight end Trey McBride had his breakout season with 1,146 yards on 111 receptions. While McBride would only have two touchdown receptions, it was clear that he was the go-to guy for the Cardinals.

Now, with the added muscle and the work he was able to put in during the offseason, Harrison Jr. has already begun to show out during training camp, as he has looked virtually unguardable thus far. No matter where he is or who is put on him, Harrison Jr. is finding ways to get open and is connecting with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. With a receiver room that leaves a lot to be desired, Harrison Jr. will need to step up if Arizona wants to make a push for the postseason. The only thing left to do is to wait and see whether Harrison Jr. will use his past experiences and his newfound abilities to shine when the lights are brightest.