The Arizona Cardinals should have taken Malik Nabers, according to one former NFL scout.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium.
ARIZONA — It’s not often where you can easily match a player to a team during the wild roller coaster that is the NFL Draft, though the pairing of WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Arizona Cardinals made too much sense.
The Cardinals needed an infusion of both talent and excitement to their football team after a rough 4-13 campaign under their new regime of HC Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort – and after Harrison’s name was called as the No. 4 overall selection, buzz around the desert was noticably different.
Harrison was primed to arrive to Arizona and transform the Cardinals’ offense overnight, providing Kyler Murray a legitimate No. 1 weapon moving into the future while getting more fans in the seats at State Farm Stadium.
Harrison’s rookie campaign was met with understandable highs and lows, which drew criticism from outlets both local and national.
One former NFL scout told FS1’s Colin Cowherd the Cardinals regret drafting Harrison over the likes of Malik Nabers, who the New York Giants took just a few picks later.
“Once you get in the NFL, All I heard last year was like, ‘Marvin Harrison’s floor is so high. Malik [Nabers] could be boom or bust.’ And then you watch, you’re like, ‘You don’t think the Arizona Cardinals regret not going Malik Nabers over Marvin Harrison Jr.?’ Because they do. And the Giants benefited from them making that choice,” said John Middlekauff (h/t SportsKeeda).
Nabers reeled in 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns on the season, earning Pro Bowl honors with New York during his first season in the league.
After Arizona’s 8-9 season, both Gannon and Ossenfort were complimentary of Harrison’s rookie season despite question marks from the outside.
“With Marvin, we’re really excited about where he is. Marvin led us in touchdown receptions last year. He was second on our team in receptions and yardage. Certainly, room to grow,” Ossenfort said at the Combine.
“Marvin would be the first to say, ‘Hey, there are things that I can do better,’ and he’s hard at work in doing those. He’s been in the facility every day since the end of the season. Really excited about where Marvin is and where he’s going.”
Harrison ended the year with 63 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns.
“I thought he had a good year. Coming in with the expectations that typically only get put on quarterbacks in the top three, I understand the expectation,” Gannon told reporters after the season ended.
“He was a premier player for us. He’s going to continue to be a premier player for us and he hasn’t hit his ceiling yet. I look forward to the offseason that he’s about to go through. I look forward to him getting back in the building, playing to the level that I want him to play, that you guys want him to play and that he wants to play most importantly. I know he is going to get there.”
Regret certainly is a massive word when it comes to Arizona’s feelings on Harrison.
Harrison and Nabers operate in two different roles in two different offensive systems – Nabers being the only option in New York while Harrison was always going to play second fiddle to Arizona’s rushing attack and star tight end Trey McBride.
All that said, the rookie himself acknowledged it was a tough first season.
“I wouldn’t call it success,” Harrison said. “I’m very grateful that I got to play all 17 games. I was able to stay healthy, besides the Green Bay game. I kind of left that one early. But I’m definitely blessed and grateful for everything I accomplished, but I wouldn’t call it a success,” Harrison said.
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