Cardinals Reveal When They Knew Marvin Harrison Jr. Was Their Guy

The Arizona Cardinals got their guy in Marvin Harrison Jr. - and they were convicted from the start.

NFL draft prospect Marvin Harrison Jr., a wide receiver who played at Ohio State, walks the red / Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA -- Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Arizona Cardinals' newest wide receiver despite months of speculation regarding general manager Monti Ossenfort and his desire to explore other avenues.

"I'd say we were busy on the phone most of the day," said Ossenfort when recapping the first night of the 2024 NFL Draft, where Harrison went No. 4 overall. "And really, with the spot we were in, it was teams coming to us. And so it wasn't a situation where we weren't looking to move the pick - we were just doing due diligence as most phone calls came in. As always, we're gonna listen. But, ultimately, we were excited to stick and pick at number four."

The Cardinals had offers - certainly - though none of them outweighed the presence of Harrison, who arrives to the desert as an immediate upgrade to Arizona's offense with potential to rise as one of the league's top young wideouts from early on.

"I think really, We were prepared to pick, and we were prepared to pick Marvin at four. Really, there was no trade that came that was going to get us off that pick," Ossenfort told reporters.

"If somebody would have came and offered us something that would have been the best thing for the team, we certainly would have done it. Ultimately, we felt the best tonight about sticking with Marvin at number four."

It sounds like Harrison impressed them from the very beginning.

"We got to meet with Marvin a couple of times. We met with him at the Combine, [that] was the first time we got to sit down across from him. So we had a formal interview with him then. And then we brought him to town here for a 30 visit. I think spending the day with Marvin was great," said Ossenfort.

"I mean, the Combine interviews are quick, it's just small sample size. But on those those long 30 visits [which lasts] the whole day, you really get to get a good feel for who these guys are as people. So I would say with Marvin: just maturity, accountability, dependability. I'd say he checks all those boxes. He's been around football his whole life. I think [we're] just really excited about the way he approaches his job, how he's gone about it. He comes from a good program at Ohio State. They rave about him. And so we're excited. We're excited to get him in here."

Harrison was touted as one of the highest-graded receiving prospects to enter the draft in some time - as the Ohio State product doesn't have many weaknesses to his game.

"I would say Marvin has a plan. Marvin has a plan on why he's been as successful as he has thus far and why we believe he's going to continue to ascend," said Ossenfort. "Whether it's the way he takes care of his body, the way he practices, the extra prehab/rehab that he does, his plan for for improving his skill set. He has a plan."

Simply put, the Cardinals knew Harrison was their guy as soon as he left the building.

"I think when that day concluded, I felt pretty convicted about who Marvin was. I was already convicted about who Marvin was as a player. After that day, [I was] convicted of who he was as a person," Ossenfort said of Harrison's Top 30 visit.

"That was a big day for me as we went through the process of figuring out who we're gonna pick at number four. Really, it just goes back to the way he handled himself, the way he conducted himself, the way he had prepared at Ohio State. Really, it was the full package. And so that day was huge for us and really huge for me personally, just getting to spend that time with him."