From the start, Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. has been billed as one of the best — if not the best — overall prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft, regardless of position. Now, on the doorstep of the 2024 NFL Draft, does his scouting report still rest atop the board?
Marvin Harrison Jr.’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’3 1/4″
- Weight: 209 pounds
- Length: 31 7/8″
- Wingspan: 77 7/8″
- Hand: 9 1/2″
- Position: Wide Receiver
- School: Ohio State
- Current Year: Junior
There’s so much we already know about Harrison. He’s the son of an NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver of the same name and was a high four-star recruit before signing with the Buckeyes.
He was arguably the rightful Biletnikoff Award winner over Jalin Hyatt in 2022 after catching 77 passes for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns, and the official Biletnikoff winner in 2023 after stacking up 1,211 more yards and 14 more scores.
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He’s on record with a 3.94-second shuttle time, a 10’8″ broad jump, and a potential high 4.3-second 40-yard dash speed, per Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List — all at almost 6’4″ and over 205 pounds.
Still thinking about this Marvin Harrison Jr. catchpic.twitter.com/Ew7u0M6SrG
— College Football Network (@CFN365) April 23, 2023
The pedigree is there. The production is there. And all who interact with Harrison wax lyrical about his natural talent, work ethic, and desire to be great.
Diving into the tape, do the microscopic details match the surface-level findings that Harrison is a blue-chip prospect on his way to top-five capital and an astronomical NFL trajectory? What else do we need to know about Harrison? Let’s find out.
Harrison’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Superlative athlete with a streamlined, aerodynamic frame and dominating length.
- Incredibly explosive mover who can stack DBs and elongate space with fast strides.
- Lashes at DBs with superb short-area energy and unnatural size-adjusted elasticity.
- Has the hyperactive foot speed, twitch, and swivel freedom to offset and displace DBs.
- Possesses hyper-elite body control, contortion ability, and flexibility at the catch point.
- Incredibly instinctive feel for space, positioning, and timing on high-difficulty catches.
- Proactively uses length, frame, and physicality to maintain leverage on 50/50 balls.
- Hands effortlessly flow to the right spot and nullify contested threats with strong grip.
- Brings insane decelerative capacity, throttle control, bend, and flexibility at stems.
- Operates like a pass rusher with targeted physicality, using rips, swipes, and chops.
- Authoritatively compounds separation at stems with prying strength and precision.
- Has an arsenal of split, diamond, and foot-fire releases, weaponized by agility and detail.
- Expertly manipulates DBs with leans, head fakes, blind-spot awareness, and efficiency.
- A true speed threat who can threaten vertically, generate RAC, and press into stems.
- Brings great energy as a blocker and can channel power in space with length and burst.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t always play to his rumored 4.38 speed when given chances to break away.
- Is often brought down on first contact as a RAC threat and doesn’t have high-end mass.
- Hands occasionally spread too far apart on catch attempts, creating instability.
- Height naturally causes him to play too tall heading into route stems on occasion.
- Ball security after the catch can improve at times; can be prone to peanut punches.
- As a blocker, can attain better synergy at times to maintain balance through contact.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Harrison has the highest raw grade on my 2024 NFL Draft board and is the top-rated non-QB in the class. His grade is near the generational tier for his position group. Ja’Marr Chase was a superior run-after-catch threat as a prospect, but in my time evaluating the NFL Draft, Harrison is the most complete player on record at his position.
At 6’3 1/4″ and 209 pounds, Harrison has all of the necessary physical tools … and in excess quantities. His frame is long and streamlined. He’s incredibly explosive and agile, with more than enough speed to threaten vertically and generate RAC in the open field.
But more than anything else, Harrison’s uncommon size-adjusted flexibility, combined with his physicality and precise route-running nuance, allows him to put ill-fated defensive backs into a blender on every down.
Few receivers of Harrison’s size have the hip sink and malleability that he has, and he uses that in tandem with explosive athleticism, sharp spatial awareness, throttle control, a vast route tree, and ruthless footwork efficiency to consistently win 1-on-1 as a separator.
After offsetting at stems, Harrison’s acceleration is effortless but extreme, and he has the vertical speed to stack defenders and gain separation. Even more than that, he has the high-level body control, catch-point instincts, and coordination needed to convert downfield.
Harrison isn’t an overly adept creator after the catch, but that’s one of the only knocks on his profile. And even while he lacks elite contact balance, he does have the speed, flexibility, and vision in space to create yardage when given opportunities.
KEEP READING: Top WRs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Harrison is a unicorn of a route savant at over 6’3″ who can also dominate against undersized defensive backs in contested situations, as well as use his speed to generate chunk plays on schemed touches. He’s a truly elite three-level threat and a high-gravity target, if there ever was one.
Right out of the gate in the NFL, Harrison projects as a high-impact, attention-drawing X receiver, who also has the versatility to play the movement-Z spot. And he has the combined physical talent and near-flawless intangibles to support an All-Pro ceiling.
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