Petzing: Important Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr. begins NFL career ‘just like anybody else’

TEMPE — First-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. has already been billed by many as the Arizona Cardinals’ unquestioned No. 1 wide receiver.

Given what the wide receiver did at Ohio State, the work ethic he brings to the table and his NFL lineage, why wouldn’t that be the case?

But regardless of the first-round price tag or his namesake, it’s of the utmost importance Harrison is “just like anybody else” joining an NFL offense for the first time.

“He has to be like everybody else if he wants to be the best version of himself,” offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said Wednesday. “The way that he comes in and approaches his job, the way he goes out there and practices, the way he integrates himself into the team, if he’s going to be the best version of himself those are the things that he has to focus on. And that’s certainly what we’re going to emphasize when he gets in the building the next couple weeks.”

“It’s just like anybody else walking into this building,” the coordinator added. “We got to get him out on the practice field and watch him move around and see what he does well and try to utilize the best of his abilities to operate our offense at a high level. I don’t think it would change with him than with anyone else that walks in the building.”

As far as where Petzing envisions best utilizing Harrison across the offense, the coordinator is waiting to get a good look at Harrison during rookie minicamp and the rest of offseason work.

That being said, he understands the caliber of athlete that’s joining his side of the football.

“It’s really the big picture. It’s the size, the speed, the change in direction and the ball skills that you certainly look for in a top wideout,” Petzing said.

“Certainly excited to see that on tape and expect that to continue as he continues to come in here and get better as we get working.”

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