Why Arizona Cardinals Need Marvin Harrison Jr.

It's been talked to death for weeks, months, maybe more than a year by those who didn't feel like facing the upcoming 2023 season last Spring.

Marvin Harrison Jr., dubbed 'generational talent,' 'the only pick at #4' and 'the people's choice.'

Are these titles accurate? Sure. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound wideout put up an insane 18.1 yards per reception, en route to a 1,200-yard, 14-touchdown season, with an Ohio State offense that struggled for much of the year and a QB who lacked the arm talent and playmaking ability of an NFL QB.

There isn't much--if anything--not to like about him, yet Arizona Cardinals fans find themselves staring down the barrel of the ever-impending possibility of general manager Monti Ossenfort passing on the star talent in favor of an unholy deluge of draft capital from a team such as Minnesota or New York.

The argument in favor of a trade down is extremely valid. The Cardinals need much more than just a receiver, and Ossenfort's track record of draft picks already looks much more solid than the previous regime's. Not to mention the depth of the 2024 draft class, with gems likely to fall to any and all rounds, and an exceptional abundance of talent in the wideout department. Passing on Harrison would not in any way prevent the Cards from taking a serious offensive playmaker, especially if a guy like Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers is available at whatever pick Arizona might fall to.

Of course, there's the ever-nagging wild card in the New England Patriots, who could simply decide to roll with Jacoby Brissett and snag the star wideout at No. 3. That doesn't seem entirely likely at this point, but, obviously, the Cardinals will be able to capitalize on draft talent regardless of what teams do around them.

I could spend thousands of words talking about the alternative options in this draft class. WR, OL, DL, there's more than enough talent diversity to go around. This is not, in any way, an argument that the Cards need to prioritize a receiver specifically at No. 4. They need a receiver, and they will get one no matter what they do with their first round pick.

This is about what Marvin Harrison Jr. would bring to the desert.

A trade, especially the insane haul that Ossenfort would be likely to land for the No. 4 pick, would absolutely benefit Arizona in both the long term and the short. That said, here's why the Cardinals, if the star wideout is there at 4, need to bring MHJ to the Valley without a blink.

Franchise Icon

The Cardinals have certainly had their fair share of legendary figures wearing the red and white. Not to take away from any of those players' greatness, or what they might have been able to achieve in Phoenix, but let's do a quick exercise here. Take off the glasses of being a Cardinals fan or supporter, and look through the eyes of the everyday NFL fan:

I'll say an NFL star's name, and you tell me what team comes to mind first, or what jersey you see said player wearing.

JJ Watt. Chris Johnson. Adrian Peterson. Zach Ertz. Emmitt Smith. Rodney Hudson. DeAndre Hopkins. Dare I say Kurt Warner?

Now for round two:

Larry Fitzgerald. Jake Plummer. Adrian Wilson. Patrick Peterson. D.J. Humphries. David Johnson.

Okay, I think you get the idea. Star power is real. Not that every one of these players is a hall of famer, or that they all didn't contribute in some way to some good times in the Valley, but the truth is that true franchise legends are rare, and they're even harder to come by as a veteran acquisition that sheds their legacy at the doorstep of their first extended stay on the way out.

No matter who Ossenfort chooses to pick with his draft capital, they're likely to be a talented addition to the squad, maybe for many years to come. That said, legendary players are often hard to predict, but Harrison is a near slam-dunk to be at minimum a perennial pro-bowler. The Cardinals need to seize the opportunity for such a star. It doesn't come around very often, despite the word 'generational' being thrown around like a child's foam football at a public park.

Cementing MHJ as the iconic star of the Arizona Cardinals, just 20 years after drafting their last legendary WR is the next big step in creating a home-grown legend, something this franchise has sorely lacked outside of an oft-slandered Kyler Murray in their post-Larry era.

But Alex, it isn't just about the jersey sales! They still have so many holes!

No, of course not. But can you really look at the Biletnikoff winner, who averaged 1,200 yards, 14 touchdowns and nearly 20 yards per reception in back-to-back years with a meager overall offense at age 21 and argue he wouldn't be more of a shot in the arm to a lackluster offense than the likes of Brian Thomas Jr. (no slander, he's a great prospect) or one of the many talented tackles?

Valley Sports Fandom

Speaking of jersey sales...

The Arizona Cardinals have a fan problem. No, this isn't accusatory, it's the reality of a team that's new to an area filled with an exceptionally strong demographic of transplants. Especially one that lacks perennial success to such a heavy extent. The Cardinals moved to Arizona in 1988, and their St. Louis and Chicago fanbases didn't make the transition.

You can blame ownership, you can blame the fact that a losing culture year after year gives fans nothing to get excited about. All valid points, but the truth of the matter is that talent, despite being a crucial part of success, needs at least some level of excitement to really turn into a consistent winning product.

If you live in Arizona, how many Cardinals fans do you know compared to fans of other teams? How many Suns, D-backs, Coyotes, Wildcats or Sun Devils fans do you know who are inexplicably latched onto an out-of-town team like the Packers or Steelers--or worse--49ers or Seahawks? Sure, they're often accompanied by the explanation that some parent or relative from across the country was a fan of said team, but why can't that team be the Cardinals?

The Cardinals need home-grown fans to fill seats. They need people who began their NFL fandom with their home team, or better yet, had their hometown team's fandom passed down to them by their parents. And home-grown fandom inflates, at least partly, alongside home-grown talent.

The Suns are a great example of what home-grown talent can do for a team's fandom. Phoenix sat in the depths of the NBA for a long time, before Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton and Cam Johnson (with some veteran help from Chris Paul, of course), set the city of Phoenix ablaze in unexpected fashion.

Most of those players were with the Suns from day one. Whether drafted by the team or not, fans became attached to their stardom (or in spite of their lack of it) because they were home-grown, and Phoenix, until the D-backs' World Series run, became a basketball city in every sense of the word. Sure, it didn't pan out exactly as hoped, but the instant fan impact of that home-grown squad reached far beyond the fact that they made a run to the Finals. If you need confirmation of this, look at what happened to those fans when Bridges and Johnson were sent to Brooklyn in the KD trade.

What does this have to do with MHJ? Well, the legacy star will get fans in those seats. MHJ is the only non-QB in this draft that would create an instant investment in the hearts of fans. With all respect to Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Joe Alt or whoever they might take with pick 11 or 23, no one is showing up specifically to watch them.

Sure, it might be shallow fandom to start, but it's how you build a culture of both winning and hometown pride. Star power is what edges out opposing fans in State Farm Stadium. Sure, maybe winning does that too, but it has to be sustained winning, setting the tone for the franchise. MHJ is an adrenaline shot to a lifeless fanbase, and a player that instantly brings desperately-needed talent, excitement and playmaking to Arizona, the likes of which have been unseen since Larry's reign.

The more fan investment, the more jersey sales, the more hype, the better the vibes get, the better the locker rooms and facilities get, and the better the franchise's reputation gets.

Ossenfort and Gannon are already beginning to turn the tides of a poor reputation. Already, people around the league are noticing the difference in this franchise. So why not continue to add to that by bringing an influx of positive attention to the Cardinals? Why not let MHJ's (god forbid) departure from Arizona enshrine him in a red and white uniform for good?

No, MHJ isn't the panacea of the Cards' woes, and I'm not naive enough to think or argue that he would be. But he's a near-perfect blend of elite talent, elite pedigree and instant star power that cannot possibly be worth less than an extra D-lineman or defensive back in the late first round, regardless of how badly Arizona might need help at said position. Perennial winning culture impacts the fan investment, but it works the other way around too, likely more than one would want to admit. Invest in the team and a serious management regime will make that investment pay dividends, and MHJ is the best investment Ossenfort could make at No. 4.

The Talent

He's 6-foot-4, to add to a receiving corps that was unproductive and small. He put up 1,200 yards and 14 TDs in an elite offense, then put up 1,200 yards and 14 TDs in a significantly worse offense the nest year. He's a humble, hard worker with excellent speed, physicality, agility and ball IQ.

He is not a worse prospect than Nabers or Odunze, no matter how many Twitter analysts want their opinions to stand out.

Do I really need to convince anyone of this? Probably not. Cardinals fans are rabid for the star wideout, and for good reason. Not that Ossenfort should bend his knee to what the fanbase wants, but Harrison's elite talent, and the fact that he comes from the legacy of a former elite talent, should smash any idea that he isn't the best WR prospect in many years before he even sets foot on the field. The Cardinals desperately need a big playmaking WR, and he's absolutely the best one on the market. I argue the intangible benefits more heavily because his talent speaks for itself in every way.

To contextualize it in one succinct box score, Harrison put up 118 yards and a touchdown, including a huge 44-yard play, while putting the team on his back and nearly putting Ohio State in position to knock off the eventual national champion Michigan Wolverines and their elite Jim Harbaugh-coached defense.

The Cardinals are in a win-win situation at No. 4. If MHJ is taken top three, or a trade is in the stars for Arizona, the Birds will come out of it in an excellent spot to continue an upward trajectory with some premiere draft talent. Regardless of what happens, this squad will benefit.

But, if Marvin Harrison Jr. is there at No. 4, Ossenfort has a chance to create a legend, ignite a starving city of fans and add an elite, generational (yes, I said it) talent to a team that needs it like oxygen.

Draft Marvin Harrison Jr., and begin the new era of Cardinals stardom.