When the Cardinals drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall in 2024, he was all but anointed a future Hall of Famer. And after what he did at Ohio State, it didn't take much imagination to envision what his NFL career might look like. Thirty-three games later, we're having a very different conversation: Would Harrison be better off playing somewhere other than Arizona?
But trading for Harrison requires believing two things: that the Cardinals haven't gotten the most out of him, and that another team can do better. The first argument is getting easier to make. The second is where things get complicated, especially when you look at what's happened to other highly drafted receivers who fell short of expectations early in their careers.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, that's worth examining. In my recent story on Carnell Tate, the fourth pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, we looked at what teams should expect from receivers drafted in the top 10. The average rookie season over the last decade was 901 receiving yards.
Harrison finished with 885 in 2024, a respectable start, even if it fell short of expectations. But things haven't gotten better. Harrison managed 608 yards in 12 games last season, and through four games in 2026, he has five catches for 85 yards.
For perspective, Seahawks rookie running back Jadarian Price, who played three games before landing on IR, has four receptions. This is the same Price who was targeted just 14 times over his final two seasons at Notre Dame. Harrison was targeted at least 13 times in four different games during his final season at Ohio State.
Through 33 NFL games, Harrison has 1,578 receiving yards. Amari Cooper, also drafted fourth overall, had 2,285 yards at the same point. Corey Davis, the fifth pick in 2017, had 1,503.
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