The Arizona Cardinals have done a lot of work reshaping their roster this offseason. The most important step was the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals' general manager recently spoke about drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. at fourth overall.
In an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio, Ossenfort explained why the Cardinals felt comfortable picking Harrison without a full evaluation.
“Yeah, I’d say with Marvin, a unique case. He made the decisions that he made to approach the draft process like he did,” Ossenfort said. “But you’re right, we did get a good look at him working out — we had that tape from last year when he ran routes at C.J. Stroud’s Pro Day, so we did check that box. And I think there’s a number of prospects in every draft that don’t check off every box — whether it’s for a medical reason or a personal choice, whatever it is, they may not complete a workout or they may not do everything like everybody else does.”
Harrison Jr. is definitely a unique case. The superstar wide receiver and son of a former NFL great didn't participate in many offseason drills because he knew he would be drafted highly. That shouldn't be a blemish on him as a prospect.
“But we felt very strongly about our evaluation of Marvin off the tape, off of last year’s Pro Day. And then what really sealed it for us was when Marvin came in for a [top] 30 visit and we got to spend an entire day with him and just really find out who the person was, what made him tick, and just the way he approached his job.”
Harrison Jr. caught 155 passes for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns in his collegiate career at Ohio State. He'll now become Kyler Murray's favorite target.
Recapping the 2024 NFL Draft for the Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals came into the 2024 NFL Draft with several needs. Ossenfort delivered an incredible draft for the Cardinals thanks to some smart trades and having plenty of draft capital to work with.
The Arizona Cardinals selected the following players in the 2024 NFL Draft:
- Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR – First round (4th overall)
- Darius Robinson – DL – First round (27th overall)
- Max Melton – CB – Second round (43rd overall)
- Trey Benson – RB – Third round (66th overall)
- Isaiah Adams – G – Third round (71st overall)
- Tip Reiman – TE – Third round (82nd overall)
- Elijah Jones – CB – Third round (90th overall)
- Dadrion Taylor-Demerson – S – Fourth round (104th overall)
- Xavier Thomas – LB – Fifth round (138th overall)
- Christian Jones – T – Fifth round (162nd overall)
- Tejhaun Palmer – WR – Sixth round (191st overall)
- Jaden Davis – CB – Seventh round (226th overall)
Arizona addressed nearly every significant pre-draft need, which can be easy to do when you select 12 players.
We'll skip over Harrison Jr. because he is an obviously incredible prospect.
Darius Robinson came off the board in the late first round. He is a high-effort defensive lineman who can play both at edge and inside. He should join BJ Ojulari and Zaven Collins in the pass rush rotation and could make a ton of sense as an interior rusher on passing downs.
Trey Benson is an exciting athlete who profiles as a playmaker at the running back position. The Cardinals have to find a way to get Benson on the field early even though James Conner will remain the bell cow back.
Max Melton, Tip Reiman, and Isaiah Adams are also noteworthy players who are expected to contribute during their rookie seasons.
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