TEMPE, Ariz. — Each and every year the NFL rookie class always comes with high expectations, some high, some realistic, others not. But one take that has not wavered since day one includes the Cardinals' top draft pick from this past spring in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
"I am raving about him," fellow wide receiver Michael Wilson said. "Because he doesn't have a weakness in his game."
It didn't take long for everyone, players and staff included, to realize what they had in the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. A six-foot-three wideout who has the speed and athleticism that is rarely ever seen from a wide receiver.
"You look at his height and then you look at his movement ability, those two things usually don't match up like that," Garrett Williams, Cardinals cornerback said. "So, for him to do it and make everything look so easily, the ball tracking ability, he's everything people said he is."
In fact, MHJ has impressed so much so early on, he has already made his way to the front of the wide receiver line. A spot that is usually reserved for the veterans and star players, until Harrison Jr. arrived.
"You have to earn everything," Harrison Jr. said. "They go to the front of the line and rightfully deserve so. And now they let me go in front now because they understand what I can bring to the team. They've done a great job helping me and allowing me to be me."
"My expectations for him, he meets and exceeds them so far," Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said.
Even as a rookie, the veteran wide receivers are humble enough to admit they aren't afraid to learn from the first-year wideout who has only been integrated into an NFL system for a matter of months.
"I am so open to learning from what was the best wide receiver in college football and what I think will be one of the best wide receivers in the NFL," Wilson said.
It's clear the elite ball skills are there for the rookie but in the meantime, he is still focused on learning a new playbook. A learning curve every new player must face when transitioning to play at the highest level.
"I am just taking it one day at a time," Harrison Jr. said. "I have confidence in my abilities going forward but I think the mental aspect is the most important right now, just learning the playbook and where I need to be for (quarterback) Kyler (Murray) and gaining trust in my teammates and coaches."
Something fans haven't seen yet is the intense work ethic from the rookie. The young man pours himself into his work daily but it's a place Gannon said Harrison Jr. needs to find a better balance.
"He's extremely detailed," Gannon said. "He does a lot of extra work, probably too much. I am going to have to fight him on that a little bit. I love extra work but you just have to be smart about it and have a routine."
The entirety of the NFL season is a grind and the top priority is health and longevity, not only for MHJ, but the team as a whole. Ahead of training camp, Gannon mentioned, it is about working harder, not smarter while setting a standard for the wideout room in the process.
And according to his teammates, yes, the hype is very real.
"He's pretty much everything I expected," Wilson said. "He's one of those guys where oftentimes we all have a media perception, but when you meet someone in person, it can either be way different than they portray themselves to media, maybe the exact same or maybe a little bit better."
Harrison Jr. and the Cardinals open training camp on Wednesday. Their first preseason game is on Aug. 10.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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