Buy or Sell: It's Marvin Harrison Jr. or Bust for Cardinals
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals currently sit with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with one player in mind: Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
If you feel like you're being oversold on Harrison arriving to the desert - you're not. It's the rare case where a player's profile slides in nearly perfectly with what a team needs most on one side of the ball.
But is it really Harrison or bust for Arizona? Let's dive in.
Buy or Sell: It's Marvin Harrison or Bust for Cardinals
Let's discuss the player first. Harrison is about as electric as they come at the wideout position. His profile provides everything from size (6-4) to speed (expected to run in the 4.3/4.4 area) while honing pristine route-running, ball skills and more.
People haven't been afraid to slap the elite tag on him, and it's easy to see why:
More from his scouting report from The Draft Network:
"Harrison Jr. is an elite wide receiver with a full set of tools to be a day-one WR1 in the NFL. He is what teams look for in a high-volume target to lead their passing offense. He will be his quarterback’s best friend early in his career. He has been compared to A.J. Green. I see the potential for him to become a bigger Davante Adams—an elite top-five wide receiver during the peak of his career!" - Damian Parson
In terms of a fit, Harrison would be nothing short of a glove in Arizona's offense. Regardless of the status of Marquise Brown in free agency, the Cardinals need a legitimate No. 1 option for Kyler Murray.
Even if a name such as Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr. arrives in free agency, rolling out a supporting cast of Trey McBride, Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch/Rondale Moore, Brown/FA receiver and Harrison is exciting moving into 2024.
We've seen what a young, prominent receiver can do for an offense. Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson being the latest examples.
Yet the unique thing about Arizona's current roster is there's not one singular hole Arizona should definitively choose to fill first. Spots along the offensive line, defensive line, edge rusher, inside linebacker and corner could also be addressed with one of Arizona's draft picks, which includes two in the first round and six total picks in the first three rounds.
It's not as if there's not strong receiver talent behind Harrison, either. Names such as Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze are expected to go fairly early in the first - and for good reason.
Pristine tackle options such as Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu are also anticipated to be taken near the top of the order - and while beefing up the offensive line isn't sexy - it's never a bad option.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is smart enough to know he has double-digit picks in a draft class that's considered deep at a few positions. He has the capital to move up and down the board as he sees fit, but more importantly he displayed the ability to evaluate players properly regardless of where Arizona picked.
At the end of the day, it's all about drafting good players - a simple yet massively difficult order for general managers on a yearly basis. Teams often try to find perfect puzzle pieces at each pick when it comes to need, and that can lead to some awful picks.
As of now, multiple insiders are projecting three quarterbacks to go 1-2-3 ahead of Arizona, which would give the Cardinals the opportunity to draft Harrison Jr. at No. 4.
If he's there - sprint to the podium. That'd be a home run pick all the way around.
Yet if any of the three teams above Arizona decided to throw a curveball, Cardinals fans shouldn't panic.
Any of the names mentioned above would be great fits in the desert. While it would be a bit disappointing to not land Harrison Jr., draft classes are not forged or broken on only one pick. If Ossenfort can carry his success from last year's draft class to 2024 in terms of production and value, Arizona will again be in position to cook.
Harrison Jr. or not - the Cardinals are in prime position to improve drastically.
Verdict: Buy that Harrison Jr. is the slam dunk pick if available. Sell that the entire draft needs to be canceled if he's not available.
