Marvin Harrison Jr. Draft Profile | Ohio State, WR Scouting Report

The best prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft — regardless of position — and a generational prospect at his position. These are things that have already been said about Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and his NFL Draft scouting report puts these assertions to the test. Is Harrison as remarkable as the hype implies?

Marvin Harrison Jr. Draft Profile and Measurements

• Height: 6’4″
• Weight: 205 pounds
• 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.

In 2022, he was arguably the rightful Biletnikoff Award winner after piling up 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns on 77 receptions. He’s on record with a 3.94 shuttle time, a 10’8″ broad jump, and potential high 4.3 speed, per Feldman’s Freaks.

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? Let’s find out.

Marvin Harrison Jr. 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.

• 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.
• Has the speed and burst to press and sell upfield into stems, then snap and retract back.
• Brings insane decelerative capacity, throttle control, bend, and flexibility at stems.
• Brings great energy as a blocker and can channel power in space with length and burst.

Weaknesses

• Doesn’t quite 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 is the top overall prospect on my 2024 NFL Draft board. His grade rests in the blue-chip range, and he’s truly 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 already the most complete player on record at his position.

At 6’4″, 205 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 his rare size-adjusted flexibility, combined with his physicality, 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 sharp spatial awareness, throttle control, a vast route tree, and footwork efficiency to consistently win one-on-one as a separator. After offsetting at stems, his acceleration is effortless but extreme, and he has the high-level body control and coordination to convert downfield.

Harrison isn’t an overly adept creator after the catch, but that’s one of the only knocks on his profile. He’s a unicorn of a route savant at 6’4″, who can also dominate against undersized defensive backs in contested situations.

He projects as an impactful, attention-drawing X receiver out of the gate in the NFL, who also has the versatility to play the movement Z spot. And he has the combined physical talent and attention to detail to support an All-Pro ceiling.