What’s the Cardinals’ vision for Marvin Harrison Jr., the rest of the WRs room?

The Cardinals can go about their WRs room a number of different ways given the interchangeability Marvin Harrison Jr. and others possess.

BY TYLER DRAKE

Jun 4, 2026, 4:25 PM Updated: Jun 5, 2026, 12:12 pm

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TEMPE — There’s no shortage of offensive weapons on the Arizona Cardinals roster.

Already stocked up with Trey McBride, Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., the Cardinals went out and added Tyler Allgeier, Kendrick Bourne and Jeremiyah Love through free agency and the NFL Draft.

The likelihood for Arizona’s run game centers around Love getting first looks, with Allgeier complementing the 2026 No. 3 overall pick much like he did for Bijan Robinson in Atlanta.

McBride is expected to pick up where he left off as one of the NFL’s top tight ends in the game.

As for the wide receivers? That’s been a topic for discussion this offseason.

With Bourne now in the mix, Wilson coming off a breakout 2025 and Harrison eyeing a bounce-back Year 3, how is Arizona going to utilize its top wide receivers?

Using some strong examples from previous stops, first-year head coach Mike LaFleur pulled back the curtain ever so slightly about lineup possibilities for the trio in 2026.

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“With Marv, typically with the X receivers. Let’s just say Davante Adams last year in L.A., Julio Jones with the Atlanta Falcons … they’re not necessarily next to the core very often in terms of playing in between the tight ends and in between the tackles,” LaFleur said Tuesday. “Then you look at what would be more so a Z receiver and Michael Wilson, who’s a little more compact of a guy. Those guys are a little bit more comfortable playing in the C, in the B, in the D areas right there where you can insert for a safety.

“You think of Puka Nacua. All the cool stuff Puka does with the ball in the air, but it’s really all the cool stuff he does without the ball. … Then you think of a guy like Kendrick Bourne who’s kind of in between right there. You know, we’re asking Kendrick probably to play closer to the core than we did I guess from 2017 to 2020 (in San Franciso), but he’s capable. He’s more adjusted to this game now than the first time I had him. He’s seen a lot more.”

But just because LaFleur is throwing around titles, doesn’t mean the trio are set fixtures at their respective positions. There’s been plenty of talk about motions and leaving a seed of doubt in opposing defenses. Moving guys around the formation is going to be a key component to how the Cardinals disguise their offense.

Last year with the Rams, Adams saw 681 snaps out wide, according to Pro Football Focus. He also recorded more than 100 snaps out of the slot. That’s a similar snap split to Harrison last year, who saw 458 out wide compared to 107 inside across an injury-riddled season.

That’s a stark difference from when Adams saw ample time out of the slot with New York (361 reps) the year prior to joining L.A. He still moved around in L.A., but with more intention.

As for where Adams was utilized the most? The red zone, where he used his size and ball skills to one up the competition in one-on-one matchups. Nine of his 14 scores came solely from the red zone.

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“Marvin’s a really good player. I mean when he gets going, he can run,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said Thursday. “I didn’t realize he was as big as he was until I got here. I had met with him too. He might have grown, I don’t know.

“He makes some plays out there. He caught an in-breaker early in OTAs and I mean, wow, that X button, as I like to say. He’s just got to keep working through everything. It’s all those guys. Just keep getting great with the system. Make it their own and the more that happens, the better (they) will be.”

Looking at Nacua and Wilson, the snap splits between operating out wide and inside are relatively similar. Both saw just over 30% of their snaps coming from the slot last year.

The production between the two, however, had its differences, with Nacua pacing the league in receptions (128) to go along with 10 touchdowns and 1,715 yards.

Especially with his breakout Year 3, Wilson is headed for a lot of looks in 2026.

Bourne, meanwhile, is going to do a little bit of everything.

For the Cardinals, it’s all about keeping the defense on its toes behind an offense that is simple in approach but carries the illusion of complexity, as quarterback Gardner Minshew II has put it. Having a trio of wide receivers that can operate throughout the formation is key to properly achieving that.

“Up to this point, that room, just the character and the intelligence in that room has been so much fun to work with, which really makes them all interchangeable,” Hackett said.

“I think for us, we want to be able to put everybody anywhere at any time and that’s something that Marvin can do, Michael, all the guys. So, I’m excited about that room.”

Tyler Drake Cardinals reporter and ArizonaSports.com editor

Born and raised in Kelseyville, California, I spent most of my summers growing up in Arizona. There were a lot of trips to Globe and the East Valley. Once out of high school, I attended the University of Arizona with a major in natural resources… Read more

Comments

3 Comments

Sarka Scarpulla 2 months ago

We all spend time in the clouds with big dreams, I feel ya Bill... but... "elite top 5 run"... behind that line? Addition by subtraction with Jonah gone but really, what's left? Paris and the Sun Casino Pips, all guys Monti brought in from somewhere else who were just dudes, and that's all they are, budget buffet guys. Now Seumalo was a good pick-up but he's still middle of the road, and better in pass pro than road grading. Who plays RT? Elijah or who? A rook at RT guard with Adams behind? Who is the swing? Gaines hasn't shown he can G or C, I liked Hayden Connor last year but he's buried. Frye the OSU wonder is still around and we all saw how that worked last year. And, if last year was any indication, they will need a top 10 scoring O to keep up with the 32 the D is going to give away. I drank the Red KoolAid for years, but losing just erodes your faith. I think after 38 years, AZ is finally seeing the Bidwill as the snake oil, 3 card monty grifter, carpet bagger he is. Don't be enthralled by the smoke, look behind curtain. In the NFL, W's are the only stat. AZ is a 44% win rate since they relocated. That's the reality and none of what they have done is changing that. Steelers, 49ers, Patriots,or example, all have an organizational culture that demands success as defined by wins and chips. Cards just want to make sure Lil Mikey keeps his jack.

Bill D 2 months ago

I think there may be some small minor differences here and there but overall I expect LaFluer largely to implement the same offense here in Arizona that he ran with Sean McVay in Los Angeles…. And why wouldn’t he, in a lot of ways they’re better equipped to run that offense here with a better, better RB corps and a better TEs, and at WR they can be just as good with Michael Wilson as the Z same role Puka played, Marvin Harrison out wide as the X and much better supporting receivers behind those two with Kendrick Bourne who he can move outside or use out of the slot, and I’d look for big play vertical threat WR 6”3 Reggie Virgil to eat into Bournes snaps sooner than later and he will be big in the red zone. They signed a good UDFA polished route runner possession WR from Ole Miss 6”1-200lb Harrison Wallace III. His RBs here are more versatile in the pass game than what they had in La To with Love able to play X, Z or in the Slot and Connor is a good receiver as well but mostly as a screen pass/wheel route merchant. I expect LaFluer to use a lot of 12 personnel even 13 at times going heavy run game we know how good Trey McBride is but I think LaFluer will get much more out of Elijah Higgins who’s a very solid receiving TE . I think we will see LaFluer use 11 personnel to but with Tyler Allgeier at RB using McBride inline and J. Love at WR in the slot next to him with both Harrison Kd n Michael Wilson outside with Love being a huge deep threat with his 4.34 speed ability to take the top off. I think he will use Love outside at times as well in say 12pers with 2 TEs n Harrison/Love split out wide and a back like Allgeier at RB

My money is on LaFluer fielding one of the more explosive offenses in the NFL with all the weapons at his disposal and elite top 5 run game giving them one of the nastiest play action pass attacks in football with all the talent at Wr and skill positions as a whole. So long as they have just solid QB who can be a good manager and protect the football they’re going to be lethal dangerous offense playing balll control clock eating run heavy play style they don’t need Mahomes to win the way they’re offensive is built they can win with a solid game manager/ball distributor or point guard who doesn’t turn it over. They’re going to score a lot of points, if they have an avg to above avg defense is going to win more than some fans expext.