Marvin Harrison Jr. skipping Ohio State’s Pro Day adds to his mystique

No NFL Combine, no Pro Day, no problem for one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ranked as the top receiver entering the draft, former Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of those generational type players with an aura surrounding him, the aura of a leader, a winner, a superstar in the making.

The son of NFL Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., the top wide receiver prospect does all his talking on the field with a combination of size, speed and skill that will hit the NFL by storm, a quiet storm.  Like his dad, there doesn’t seem to be a diva hidden in him, although his decision to skip working out at the NFL Combine and Ohio State’s Pro Day is rubbing some critics the wrong way.

2024 NFL Draft stock rising or falling for Marvin Harrison Jr?

Will staying away from those stages propel teams to bypass the 6-foot-3, 209-pound playmaker with game-changing ability?

With elite targets like LSU’s Malik Nabers, Georgia’s Brock Bowers and Washington’s Rome Odunze as options, teams like the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers could afford to trade back in the draft and still land one of those predicted stars.  Who knows, it could be Harrison Jr., who will showcase his skills when he makes his Top-30 visits.

It will during those visits that teams will get an up close and personal feel for the projected first-round pick on the field.  That is where the legacy of the OSU wide receiver will shine.  That is where teams will see the mystique of a player who wants to show teams what he’s about without much of the media frenzy.

“I don’t want anyone to remember the awards, touchdowns, yards, whatever it may be,” Harrison Jr. said in an interview with GQ Sports. “I just want people to remember the person who I was, you know? In the building, how was I as a teammate? How was my work ethic? I think my legacy will be my work ethic and the influence I had on my teammates. Most important is that I was the guy that treated everyone equally and said hi to everyone. I just want that to be remembered for that.”

The awards attached to his name include the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, which honors the nation’s top receiver.  He was all that and more during his final season at Ohio State, hauling in 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns.  With 18.1 yards per catch, he was the ultimate weapon on the field, but it was the leadership and how he went about his game as a part of a team that shined through as it will with teams who get to see him during the Top 30 visit.

So, if an NFL scout or team does drop him down on their 2024 NFL draft board for missing the NFL Combine and Pro Day, then that team or scout or even analyst are not seeing the complete player Harrison Jr. is.