Marvin Harrison Jr. entered the NFL with high expectations, being both the son of a Hall-of-Fame receiver and regarded as the top wide receiver in his draft class. However, his first two seasons have not lived up to those expectations for the former Ohio State standout.
In this Year 3 Series, NFL Mocks turns its focus to the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The main question facing the Arizona Cardinals wideout is whether he is on the verge of a breakout season.
Mike LaFleur could unlock Marvin Harrison Jr. in Year 3
With a new offensive-minded head coach in Mike LaFleur, Harrison Jr. will get a refreshed opportunity and will also be one of the focal points when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. Can he step up and become the dominant outside threat the Cardinals envisioned when they selected him with a top-five pick?
Much of that is going to depend on whether he can block out the outside noise and just be Marvin Harrison Jr.
While quarterback is still a big question mark for the Cardinals entering the 2026 NFL season, LaFleur and company have big-time talent to work with. Along with Harrison, the Cardinals have perhaps one of the top tight ends in Trey McBride, dynamic rookie running back Jeremiyah Love and fellow wideout Michael Wilson as impact playmakers. So, the pressure is not solely on the third-year wideout, but if he finds his niche and has that breakout season, it could be a very fun season in the desert.
So, what does Harrison Jr. need to do to avoid the dreaded bust label? The talent and explosive playmaking ability are there. Now, it's about blocking out the outside noise, finding his niche in LaFleur's offense and letting his play do the talking. Harrison Jr. recently spoke about blocking out the outside noise and focusing on his preparation.
"It's easy to look at the results," he said, via ESPN. "I know whether if I don't make a play that someone thinks I should have made, they're going to post it, and it's going to do what it's going to do in the social media era. And that's OK.
"For me, it's just I'm worried about my process, know what I do each and every single day to prepare myself for practice, prepare myself for games on Sunday. And what the result's going to be, the result's going to be. But I know Monday through Saturday, I'm going to do the best I can to make sure I put my best foot forward."
Marvin Harrison Jr.'s numbers don't tell the entire story
Those results haven’t been horrible. Harrison Jr. did have a solid rookie season with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, which tied a franchise rookie record. He took a little step back in his sophomore season mostly due to missing five full games. Even with that, he still produced with 41 receptions for 608 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Those are numbers that make most wide receivers in the league valuable contributors to their offense, but with the bloodline of Harrison Jr. and that Ohio State receiver pedigree, both seasons were largely underwhelming which sets up an important Year 3 and puts even more emphasis on LaFleur's ability to maximize Harrison's elite traits.
“It’s just a matter of now we got to sustain that competitive edge on a day-in-and-day-out process,” LaFleur said when speaking of the challenge ahead for MHJ. Because once he gets going, he’s a big dude, right? And if I’m a DB standing there knowing I got a big dude that could run by me or can stop on a dime, that’s tough. If we’re upright out of our stance, well, you’ve already lost yardage right there.”
A part of that will be incorporating shorter routes for Harrison and finding easier ways to get the ball in his hands. Keeping him involved should also allow him to stay aggressive against defensive backs already at a disadvantage against his 6-foot-4, 205-pound frame.
If Harrison puts it all together and uses his first two NFL seasons as motivation, the version of Marvin Harrison Jr. the Cardinals envisioned when they drafted him No. 4 overall may finally show up in Year 3.
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