Arizona The rookie season of Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has generated a lot of discussion both nationally and locally.
Harrison was viewed as a disappointment because of his general unreliability and failure to change Arizona’s system despite his 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns as the No. 4 overall choice.
In a re-do of the 2024 NFL Draft ran by Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick, the Cardinals take an alternative route.
Arizona Cardinals Bypass Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024 Re-Draft
The Cardinals do stick at receiver instead of Harrison, but the name at the podium is Brian Thomas Jr.
“With 1,282 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, Thomas led all rookie receivers and finished one position ahead of Malik Nabers in the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. “He finished third among all first-year players with 87 receptions,” Flick noted.
“Harrison had a solid rookie season and should be a premier piece in Arizona’s offense moving forward, but Thomas led the way in a deep 2024 receiving class.”
In the end, Thomas and Nabers both produced more, but statistics surely require context.
Due to limited time on task with quarterback Kyler Murray, Harrison—who isn’t even Arizona’s top throwing target because of tight end Trey McBride—struggled to get going right away, which resulted in a number of missed opportunities in 2024.
When you combine that with the Cardinals’ primary run-first approach, Harrison’s ability to make a real difference in the game was already limited in comparison to his rookie teammates.
2025 will look to be a different story, as Harrison has bulked up and could see a sophomore surge.
Harrison was more concerned with team objectives than individual honors when he met with reporters this offseason.
“I think you got to make the playoffs,” Harrison stated. “I believe that this year is the one in which we want to fulfill our obligations. We have every component we require. At this point, we simply need to go out there and execute.
“That’s why they brought me here to help this team win games.”
The Cardinals are very confident that Harrison will put together a successful second season in the desert, despite the fact that Thomas and Nabers are both clearly great players.
Even after what they’ve witnessed from Harrison and his teammates in just one season, Arizona would rush to the podium and pick Harrison again if given the chance.
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