Cardinals Select Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals finally make it official and take Marvin Harrison Jr.

Oct 21, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) / Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- After months of speculation, it's finally official.

With the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals have selected Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. after three quarterbacks went off the board ahead of them.

The Cardinals were highly favored to take a wide receiver early in the draft after seeing names such as Rondale Moore and Marquise Brown depart in the offseason.

Now, arguably the draft's best player lands in the desert.

Harrison Jr. immediately upgrades Arizona's offense and will look to become the No. 1 receiver on the depth chart before the regular season begins. Harrison Jr. will work on the outside opposite of Michael Wilson with Greg Dortch assuming starting slot duties. Names such as Zach Pascal and Chris Moore are behind them on the depth chart.

As for what makes Harrison superb as a prospect - nearly everything. Aside from not having tremendous speed (though he's still fast/quick), Harrison is seen as a can't-miss player thanks to his well-rounded abilities as a pass-catcher.

Paired with his 6-3 frame, Harrison is able to come down with any ball within his catch radius.

"Harrison comes from impressive NFL bloodlines and possesses similarities that made his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, special. Harrison can run but isn’t a burner. What makes him tough to handle is his consistent play speed paired with quality salesmanship in his routes. He’s able to uncover no matter where he’s aligned or which part of the field his assignment takes him to, and he is capable of finishing catches in a crowd," wrote Lance Zierlein in his NFL.com draft profile.

"Harrison can be sudden while working possession routes, and he’s well qualified to beat any opponent with his ball skills if the battle heads deep. Harrison is a touchdown champ with a variety of ways to excel, and that characteristic figures to follow him into the pros. He has the traits and tools to win in all three phases of the route and on all three levels of the field. He’s a pedigree prospect and a Day 1 starter with high-end production expected."

Now, Kyler Murray now has an incredible receiver to target for years to come.

Arizona and Harrison were paired together since the moment the Cardinals finished with the No. 4 pick. Despite hefty speculation that GM Monti Ossenfort would trade out, the Cardinals ultimately stayed and satisfied their biggest position of need.

Arizona also owns pick No. 27, which ultimately could be used to trade up or down - while staying is of course an option.

The Cardinals own six picks through three rounds with 11 total in the draft. Other positions Arizona could target include EDGE and CB early.