One of the biggest disappointments for the Cardinals, aside from only winning three games, was Marvin Harrison Jr., who not only missed five games due to injury but also wasn’t effective when he played.
This would normally fly under the radar for anyone else, but the fact that Harrison was selected at No. 4 overall in 2024 and still hasn’t lived up to the “generational talent” expectations is what makes this such a big issue.
Harrison was grilled by ESPN’s Bill Barnwell in a recent column, and it should only add fuel to the fire for him as he enters his third year of pro action.
“In last year's Cardinals blurb, I wrote about Marvin Harrison Jr. and why we can often be too impatient with even elite wide receiver prospects. Well, Year 2 has come and gone for him, and it might have been even more underwhelming than Year 1. Injuries limited Harrison to 12 games, but they didn't explain the brutal stretch of drops that the 2024 fourth pick endured in September, either.” — Bill Barnwell
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The son of a Hall of Fame wide receiver, Marvin Harrison, the last name had a ton to do with the 23-year-old getting so much attention. On top of that, he was a product of the Ohio State University, one of the best wide receiver-producing schools in all of college football.
Injuries are hard to control, but the fact that he hasn’t really provided that much of an impact on the field when healthy is the main issue.
It will be very interesting to see how he responds in 2026, as the Cardinals look to prove the doubters wrong once again.
