2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR, Ohio State

Is MHJ the best receiver in the draft?

It’s commonly believed that the New York Giants need to come away from the 2024 NFL Draft with a wide receiver. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is at the top of many wide receiver boards and has had the NFL abuzz since the 2022 season.

Could the Giants really land MHJ at sixth overall? That would be a dream for those who want the Giants to add a pass catcher, but is it realistic?

Prospect: Marvin Harrison Jr. (18)
Games Watched: vs. Notre Dame (2023), vs. Penn State (2023), vs. Rutgers (2023), vs. Michigan (2023)

Measurables

Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS.football

Strengths

• Route running
• Hands
• Route diversity
• Football IQ
• Vision
• Quickness and agility
• Size

Marvin Harrison Jr. combines prototypical size, pro-ready technique, and sky-high football IQ.

Harrison Jr. has great size for the position at 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, with 31 ⅞ inch arms and 9 ½ inch hands. His height and arm length gives him a great catch radius which he maximizes by extending to pluck the ball out of the air. He understands how to use his frame to play over or around smaller defensive backs.

He’s also already an extremely good route runner. Harrison Jr. is smart, savvy, sophisticated, and subtle in his routes. He features an efficient release package, getting into his routes with the minimum of wasted motion and energy against both man and zone coverage. Harrison understands how to use his route stems to manipulate cornerbacks. He routinely bends his stems away from the eventual catch point as well as varying his tempo and using a variety of fakes to create doubt or force mistakes.

Harrison Jr. is quick in and out of his breaks, doing a good job of dropping his hips to lower his center of gravity and change direction efficiently. He’s also capable of running a full route tree and is effective to every area of the field.

He has very good ball skills at the catch point, doing a good job of locating, tracking, and adjusting to the ball in flight. He flashes his hands late, denying defenders advanced warning of the incoming catch.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Harrison’s game is how controlled he is. Harrison is a remarkably smooth receiver who understands route concepts and coverage rules, always knows where to be, and when to be there. He always seems to have a plan and is rarely surprised by the defense. He’s a good (though admittedly not great) athlete, but his technique and football IQ allow him to use his traits to the utmost.

Weaknesses

• Speed
• Physicality

There are very, very few true weaknesses in Harrison Jr’s game. If we’re being honest, any discussion of “weaknesses” is really a discussion of aspects of his game that are less-good.

The biggest complaint in Harrison’s game is his lack of truly elite athleticism. He is quick and agile, but not truly twitchy or explosive. And while he can lengthen his stride to eat up turf in the open field, he isn’t a speedster. He doesn’t quite have the ability to bully defenders at the line of scrimmage or the catch point, nor can he run away from athletic defensive backs. Harrison isn’t a poor athlete by any means, but he won’t be confused with the likes of Julio Jones or Calvin Johnson. Likewise, he isn’t small or weak, but he also isn’t Mike Evans.

There are also a couple instances of drops in Harrison’s tape. He has good hands, but doesn’t quite have “vice grip” hands. He’s very good at flashing late hands and not cluing defensive backs to the catch, but defenders who play his hands at the catch point can jar the ball loose. Likewise, his hands aren’t perfectly secure when adjusting to poorly placed balls or when playing through heavy contact. That’s hardly uncommon, but something which teams should be aware of.

Game Tape

Projection

Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as a starting wide receiver with schematic diversity in the NFL.

Harrison has played the “X”, “Z”, and Slot positions, and executes at a very high level from all three positions. Harrison might not have the sheer athleticism boasted by some other prospects in this class, but few can match his route running, technical prowess, and football IQ.

He might not be a true home run threat at the NFL level, where defenses are better coached and more athletic than in college. However, he should be a very reliable and high-volume receiver who can be depended upon in any situation for years to come.

Does he fit the Giants?
Yes. He should fit in any offense.

Final Word: A Top 10 selection