The entire NFL world is assembling in Indianapolis this week for the NFL scouting combine. Players will interview and perform in front of teams to help make their dreams of becoming an NFL player come true. Teams will look to see which players can help them win the Super Bowl. There is one player, however, who will not be doing any testing at the combine, in large part because he doesn't need to. That would be Ohio State football superstar wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr. is largely expected to be the first non-quarterback selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He isn't expected to last very long once the draft actually gets started. Because of that, teams like the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals stand out as great landing spots for the Buckeye star receiver.
New England Patriots
The Patriots may end up using this pick on their quarterback of the future, if they deem Jayden Daniels to be that guy. If they don't, then anything should be on the table, including trading down or drafting a player like Marvin Harrison Jr. or Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt. They can't go wrong with either pick, but the Ohio State football standout would instantly become the best wide receiver the Patriots have drafted in a long time.
Deion Branch was a hit for the Patriots at the wide receiver position, but that was all the way back in 2002. New England's track record of drafting receivers in the first three rounds of the draft since then has been abhorrently abysmal. Here are the names the Patriots have drafted with that type of draft capital since at receiver: Bethel Johnson, Chad Jackson, Brandon Tate, Taylor Price, Aaron Dobson, N'Keal Harry and Tyquan Thornton. Ouch.
To the Patriots' credit, they have been able to find outstanding value at wide receiver in this time elsewhere. They traded a fourth-round pick for Randy Moss back in 2007. They signed Wes Welker as a free agent and drafted Julian Edelman in the seventh round of the 2009 draft. Demario Douglas, a rookie from Liberty University the Patriots drafted a year ago in the sixth round, showed plenty of promise in 2023.
But the Patriots' luck at receiver has run out in recent seasons. Signing Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne and trading for DeVante Parker has not exactly panned out. Harrison Jr. could be the number-one receiver for the Patriots for the next decade. For a team that has struggled to find that type of player, that's pretty appealing to not have to worry about finding another one for a while.
Arizona Cardinals
The best landing spot for Marvin Harrison Jr. might just be in the desert with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals already have their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray and let the world know it.
Our franchise QB. pic.twitter.com/eVARCYF8wS
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) February 26, 2024
Perhaps this public posturing by the franchise to let the rest of the league know this pick is up for grabs, but if the top three are all quarterbacks, then the Ohio State football wideout should fall into their laps. If that happens, he could fit all of Arizona's pieces on offense into place.
Murray is their quarterback. Their offensive line took a jump last season after drafting another former Ohio State Buckeye (Paris Johnson Jr.) in the top ten in last year's draft. Trey McBride was one of the best tight ends in the NFL last season; McBride's 2.03 yards per route run ranked second among tight ends in 2023, according to playerprofiler.com. The Cardinals could bring back Marquise Brown in free agency and also have dynamic slot receiver Rondale Moore.
What they need is a true number-one receiver. Marvin Harrison Jr. is that in spades. The Cardinals have plenty of picks in this year's draft; six in the first three rounds to be exact. They can get good relatively quickly. Harrison Jr. could be the piece that helps them make that leap.
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