Ohio State HC Ryan Day: Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. will be an ‘excellent pro’

The NFL debut for Arizona Cardinals 2024 first-round pick Marvin Harrison Jr. is just four days away, and plenty of eyes are on the 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver to see how well his skillset translates to the NFL.

He was the No. 4 overall pick for a reason. His ability to leverage defenders, create openings and navigate his way into the endzone shot his draft stock exponentially in his three years at Ohio State.

“His route running is very precise; he understands how to leverage defenders,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on the Dave Pasch Podcast on Wednesday. “He can play on contact. His run after catches is very good, he has the length and the catch radius that you need.”

As @AZCardinals WR @MarvHarrisonJr closes in on his @NFL debut, @OhioStateFB head coach Ryan Day joined the Dave Pasch Podcast to discuss:

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— Dave Pasch (@DavePasch) September 4, 2024

Throughout training camp, Harrison exemplified his ability to be the No. 1 wideout in a WR room consisting of Greg Dortch, Michael Wilson and veteran Zay Jones. Jones can’t play until Week 6 due to a suspension.

At 6-foot-4, Harrison is among some of the tallest receivers in the NFL. The thought that Harrison would struggle with getting in and out of cuts due to his height was debunked by Day, who spent the early years of his coaching career as offensive coordinator at Temple and Boston College.

“When you look at him, he’s tall, but what you notice is his torso is low to the ground. … The taller guys … their torsos are high and their legs are longer, so they have a harder time getting in and out of cuts. Not with him,” Day said. “You see the way he’s built, his torso is a little bit lower, so he gets in and out of breaks faster, can transition and create contact when needed.

“I think he’s going to be an excellent pro; I think his skillset really does translate well.”

In three seasons with Ohio State (two as a starter), Harrison racked up 155 catches for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns. NFL.com predicted Harrison would finish with 81 catches for 1,102 yards and eight touchdowns, marking a stellar rookie season.

Only 20 Cardinals have finished a season with over 1,100 yards, meaning the bar is high for Harrison. However, anything short of 1,000 yards would be underwhelming for the highly touted rookie.

Harrison has built chemistry with Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who is predicted to have a resurgent year in his first full season back from an ACL tear he suffered in 2022. The rookie will likely be Murray’s favorite target as the Cardinals look to build off their disappointing 2023 campaign.

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— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 4, 2024

The Cardinals open their season against the Bills on Sunday at 1 p.m. on CBS. The game can be heard on 98.7, the Arizona Sports app and ArizonaSports.com.

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