Marvin Harrison Jr. has gone from can’t-miss prospect to Cardinals’ afterthought

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There are things that happen in the NFL Draft that simply don't surprise you after watching classes unfold over the years. It wasn't the least bit surprising when Zach Wilson became a bust for the Jets after seeing how he played at BYU against cupcake opponents, knowing that his play wouldn't translate to the NFL. It came as no shock when Troy Williamson busted in 2005, when his only trait was speed, coupled with hands of stone and no route-running ability.

Marvin Harrison Jr. was different. He fell on the other end of the spectrum. Everything in the pre-draft process made him look like a home run pick, a player with every single trait needed to succeed in the NFL. There was nothing about how he played at Ohio State or looked at the combine that could ever indicate he would struggle in the NFL - and in picking him it seemed like the Cardinals were destined to find their next Larry Fitzgerald.

Three years in and the dream has collapsed. Against the Seahawks on Sunday he didn't register a single catch, locking his season statistics at a paltry two catches for 44 yards. In addition, he's being phased out of Mike LaFleur's offense, as Harrison is being pulled off the field on rushing downs, and getting fewer snaps as Michael Wilson has passed by him as the team's No. 1 receiver, and now even 31-year-old Kendrick Bourne is being more involved in the offense than Harrison is.

Marvin Harrison Jr. struggled to get ANYTHING going against the Chargers.

Harrison Jr. finished the game with 3 TGTS, 1 REC, 33 total yards, and 1 registered drop.

The Cardinals former 4th overall pick is NOT off to an ideal start to his third year pic.twitter.com/GqzNrdoU9A

- Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) September 17, 2026

Harrison looks dejected on every down, as if he knows the play won't involve him before the ball is snapped. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett told the media that he believes teams are running two-high safeties against the Cardinals to take away Harrison's bread-and-butter post route - but that's a very generous reading from the QB trying to help out a young player in the media. Truth be told: No opponents are thinking about Marvin Harrison Jr at all, because they don't need to. Three years in we have the unanimous best wide receiver prospect from the 2024 class, and perhaps the most coveted WR prospect ever and he's not even worth scheming against.

What's going wrong with Harrison, and is there any way to save him?

Two major blocks are in Harrison's way right now, and both appear to be mental. There is none of the explosive first step we saw from him at Ohio State, which indicated that he could get early separation. There's an inherent laziness with how he's playing the position right now where he's slow off the line, then meanders into his cuts. This could be a factor of him knowing the play isn't drawn up with him as the primary, but it's cuing in the defense to know they don't have to worry about No. 18 getting the ball. It's allowing the corner to sit on his hip, while the safety can ostensibly ignore that he's on the field at all and look at other targets.

On the rare occasions the ball does come Harrison's way it almost surprises him. Either he's shocked that he's being targeted, or he's in his head too much about making a play - but either way, it's resulting in drops. At Ohio State there were lapses in focus, but for the most part Harrison was as sure-handed as you'll find from a top college receiver. During his limited time in the NFL he isn't necessarily drop-prone, but he makes bad drops at the worst possible time.

All this combines to create a receiver who simply isn't reliable. If you're not getting separation on your routes because you're playing lazy, and you can't catch the ball when the play opens up for you - then how is a coach or a QB supposed to trust you with a larger role? Richard Sherman noted this problem on Sunday, and he thinks the Cardinals need to do more to feed Harrison to get him out of this funk. While that might be true, at some point an entire football team can't be sacrificed to artificially manufacture opportunities for a player who isn't giving 100 percent. Especially when you have a first-year head coach there's a standard that needs to be established in building a football culture, and that can't include giving additional reps and plays to someone simply because of their draft status.

This whole scenario is a mess. Marvin Harrison Jr. is spiraling, and there's no real way to stop it - not really. At this point, it's feeling a lot like a QB who needs a change of scenery, moving away from the weight of draft expectations to a team where he can fight for a spot, light that fire under him again, and hopefully get things back on track. Right now none of that can happen in Arizona, because the goals of the Cardinals and Harrison can't be aligned - not without choosing to abandon the season, feed him at all costs, and forget about trying to win football games. That might be good for one player, but not the entire organization.