Could Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. be a big name moved prior to the 2026 NFL trade deadline?
Following a slow start in Year 3 of his NFL career, the rumor mill has been spinning regarding Harrison Jr., who was selected with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Adam Schefter added more fuel to the speculation by naming the Cardinals receiver as one of five players to watch leading up to the Nov. 10 deadline.
“The Cardinals are not all that enthralled with trading him, but other teams are doing their due diligence into Harrison,” Schefter said Sunday morning. “It would not be a surprise if he were traded by Nov. 10.”
Due to injuries on other teams, there are a few potential destinations for Harrison Jr., but Arizona’s willingness to ship the Ohio State star could open up an immediate need at the position. That could lead the Cardinals to take a shot at one of the top prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft, who just happens to come from the same program as Harrison Jr.
Marvin Harrison Jr. trade would create a major Cardinals draft need
While the assumption is that the Cardinals will have quarterback as a major draft need, trading away the man drafted to be their long-term WR1 would put wide receiver right back near the top of the list.
The Cardinals have shifted to Michael Wilson as their top wide receiver, but beyond that, they have veteran Kendrick Bourne, along with Jalen Brooks, Devin Duvernay, Simi Fehoka and Reggie Virgil on the active roster. Aside from Wilson, none of those names would exactly scare opposing defenses.
So, if the Cardinals were to move on from Harrison Jr., they would have to center the offense even more around tight end Trey McBride and the running back duo of Tyler Allgeier and Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Cardinals would also have to see what they have in 2026 third-round pick Carson Beck at quarterback as a measure of their true needs ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. While it’s still too early in the season to put the Cardinals in tank mode, trading a player they selected in the top five would certainly signal a shift in direction. It would also make wide receiver a major need once again.
Fortunately for Arizona, the 2027 class could contain a receiver worthy of another premium selection, a player who is not only a Heisman Trophy favorite, but also a generational talent who could solve that immediate need from Day 1.
Jeremiah Smith could put Ohio State back on the Cardinals' radar
Like Harrison Jr. prior to the 2024 NFL Draft, Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is the talk of the nation when it comes to wide receiver talent.
But Smith is even more dominant than Harrison Jr. was during his final season at OSU. Smith is not only setting school records in just about every major statistical area, but he is also making it look easy. With recent back-to-back 200-yard receiving games, the exciting playmaker is nearly uncoverable.
Whether it is contested catches or ankle-breaking moves leading to yards-after-catch explosiveness, Smith is at the top of his class, and it isn’t even close. But the question is whether a team like the Cardinals would take a generational talent at a key position over selecting one of the top quarterbacks in the class.
Again, we can circle back to Beck, who impressed during the preseason. While that performance was encouraging, the Cardinals still need to see more before they can determine whether the 2026 third-round pick can be their quarterback of the future.
If Beck does get his opportunity and gives Arizona something to believe in, that could make Smith even harder to pass up with a top-five pick, if not the No. 1 overall selection.
With Arizona currently at 1-3, there is at least a realistic possibility the Cardinals will be picking high enough to have Smith on their radar. There is still plenty of football left to play, but trading Harrison Jr. would make the possibility of replacing him with another Ohio State star that much more interesting.
Arizona could be facing more than a Marvin Harrison Jr. decision
Now, the Cardinals could still go the conventional route and take a quarterback with their top pick, especially if Beck doesn’t give them a reason to believe he can be the answer.
If they do that, the additional draft capital gained in a Harrison Jr. trade could be used on a receiver later in the draft or to acquire another receiver needing a change in scenery. With the core offensive playmakers of McBride, Wilson and Love, it may be more worthwhile to get a franchise-caliber quarterback in place.
But that is where the depth of the 2027 NFL Draft QB class could make things interesting. With no clear QB1 really pulling away, Arizona may not have to force a quarterback simply because it has a top pick. If Smith is viewed as the best player in the draft, passing on him just because wide receiver isn’t the Cardinals' biggest need could be a tough decision to make.
It’s all speculation right now, especially with most of the season still to be played, but a Harrison Jr. trade would give the Cardinals some interesting options. They wouldn’t just be moving on from the player they selected No. 4 overall three drafts ago to be their star receiver. They would also be changing what they need to accomplish in the 2027 NFL Draft.
And if wide receiver does become one of those top needs, the Cardinals could find Harrison Jr.'s replacement in a familiar place with another Ohio State star.
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