2024 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR Ohio State
Death. Taxes. Ohio State wide receivers. Lately, there hasn’t been a more consistent dynasty asset than a wide receiver out of Ohio State University. Marvin Harrison Jr continues the trend as a high-end NFL and fantasy football option in this 2024 NFL Draft class. He will be the fourth Buckeye wide receiver to go in the first round in the last three seasons.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt his draft status that he is the son of one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. Marvin Harrison Sr’s 1,102 catches, 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns are MASSIVE shoes to fill for Jr, but we’ll get to see how much NFL talent runs in that blood starting this season. Everything is going well for Harrison off the field, but does his on-the-field play live up to the reputation of his father and his alma mater?
Recruitment
Image courtesy of 247Sports.
Coming out of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Harrison Jr was a four-star recruit. At 6’3” and 190 lbs, he had the height you want from a college recruit, but he needed to bulk up to succeed at the FBS and NFL level. For what it is worth, the Buckeyes now list him at 205 lbs, a much better number for a number-one receiver. If he weighs in at the NFL Combine under 200 lbs, that would be concerning.
In his senior year, he caught 47 balls for 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns. MaxPreps named him a first-team All-American in 2020, along with Caleb Williams and teammate TreVeyon Henderson. He received 18 offers coming out of high school, including his father’s alma mater Syracuse. He visited LSU twice before enrolling in Ohio State University.
Collegiate Career
Image courtesy of College Football Reference.
Harrison Jr has shared a collegiate wide receiver room with Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Emeka Egbuka during his time in Columbus. Despite that, he has been extremely productive in his collegiate career, especially over the last two seasons.
He broke out in 2022 and established himself on everyone’s radar in the 2022 College Football Semifinal matchup against Georgia. In a 42-41 loss, Harrison Jr caught five balls for 106 yards and two touchdowns, including this incredible diving catch.
With CJ Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba going pro, the Buckeyes took a step back in 2023. Despite the quarterback woes, Harrison Jr still excelled as the best wide receiver in the country. He caught 67 balls for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns, leading the Big Ten in the latter two categories. He was third in college football in receiving touchdowns and tenth in receiving yards. His best game came in a win over Michigan State where he scored three times (once on a running play), catching seven for 149 yards.
Harrison Jr was named a Consensus All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 2023. He won the Fred Biletnikoff Award and was even named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. He received a grade of 89.9 from Pro Football Focus for his 2023 season, behind only Malik Nabers amongst early-round wide receivers. Nabers gave Harrison Jr a run for his money in 2023, but Harrison Jr is clearly the cream of the crop in this wide receiver class.
Strengths
- Artistic route runner
- Elite speed and acceleration
- Outstanding intelligence
- Ball skills and catch radius
- Uses the sideline like it’s a teammate
- Explosive and can stop and change directions on a spot
Weaknesses
- Skinny and lanky for his size
- Underwhelming YAC threat
- Easy to bring down once he’s hit
- Basically, he doesn’t have any
Draft Value
Image courtesy of NFL Mock Draft Database.
Marvin Harrison Jr, will almost certainly hear his name called out by the commissioner very early on April 25. He’ll likely be the first non-quarterback drafted and even has a shot to be the first player off the board by any team. The choice for the Chicago Bears at number one likely comes down to a quarterback or Marvin Harrison Jr. The question comes down to what they do with Justin Fields going from this point.
If the Bears pass on Harrison Jr, the consensus pick is number four to Arizona in early mock drafts. He would immediately be the number-one receiver in Glendale and Kyler Murray’s favorite receiver. Murray does well pushing the ball down the field, which fits right into Harrison’s skillset. No matter what team ends up selecting Harrison Jr, he’ll be a day-one starter in 2024.
Dynasty Outlook
Among the non-quarterback prospects, Marvin Harrison Jr is clearly the number one player for dynasty in the 2024 draft. Malik Nabers and Brock Bowers have the chance to be elite as well, but Harrison is in a tier by himself at the top of the board.
Last year in superflex leagues, Bijan Robinson was the consensus number one pick ahead of all of the quarterbacks. Harrison Jr deserves the same sort of prioritization in 2024. He will be in consideration every week for your starting lineups from week one, and could even be locked in as a WR1 depending on where he lands and the competition for targets on the team. On paper, this seems to be a stronger class of quarterbacks than last year, but that includes more depth at the position. If you pass on QB at 1.01 to take Harrison, there could be a decent quarterback available in the second round, such as JJ McCarthy or Bo Nix.
As it stands Marvin Harrison Jr. is my dynasty WR6!
Too High, Too Low, or just right? pic.twitter.com/hNaUQHueyT
— Rich – DynastyIsland 🏝 (@DynastyIsland) January 8, 2024
Marvin Harrison Jr, should be the number one overall pick in all rookie drafts, and ranks as a WR1 in dynasty right off the bat. He has a great chance to be a league-winning wide receiver for years to come, in the same conversation as players like CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase. It’s unfair right now to draw comparisons to his Hall of Fame father, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and the door is open for Harrison Jr, to be in the same conversation as Harrison Sr. Like father, like son.
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