2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR Ohio State
Many people remember the 2022 Rose Bowl between Ohio State as the game where Jaxon Smith-Njigba exploded for 15 catches, 347 yards, and three touchdowns. However, it was also the coming out party for Marvin Harrison Jr, who was finally given the opportunity to thrive outside the shadow of Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. In Harrison’s first start, he had six catches for 71 yards and three touchdowns of his own.
Over the next two seasons, Harrison accumulated 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns while finishing as a two-time unanimous All-American and earning the 2023 Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding wide receiver in college football.
As the son of Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison, elite pass-catching ability is in his DNA. Born in Philadelphia, Harrison Jr won three consecutive Pennsylvania state championships alongside fellow Ohio State recruit Kyle McCord. He left high school as a four-star recruit and the 14th-ranked WR in the 247 composite rankings.
Harrison is being billed as a generational talent, is that true? Let’s take a look.
The Stats
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
Harrison Jr totaled 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns during his time as a Buckeye and will be remembered as one of the best wide receivers ever from a school that has produced countless elite pass catchers. He ranks sixth all-time in receptions and receiving yards and third all-time in touchdowns.
Harrison has been the model of consistency over the last two years in Columbus. During 25 games over the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he has 15 100-yard games and a touchdown reception in 18 games, including nine multi-touchdown games.
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
Not only did he have eye-popping counting numbers, but his analytical profile was also elite. Harrison was top five in PFF grade each of the last two seasons with an 89.6 grade or better in both. He also averaged 3.18 and 3.44 yards per route run in his last seasons respectively which were both top five marks for the year. Harrison has also dominated in contested situations; he’s caught 32 of 61 contested targets for a 52.5% contested catch percentage.
The Film
I wanted to start with this game against Penn State because it represented so much about who Harrison Jr was as a player in 2023 and what he had to deal with.
I live in Columbus and am an avid Ohio State fan. Trust me when I tell you this: Kyle McCord was awful this season. It’s no surprise he’s going to be playing at Syracuse this fall. As you watch that video, you’ll see four or five plays where Harrison is wide open and the throw is completely uncatchable. Harrison was playing with by far the worst quarterback of any of the top-ten wide receivers in this class.
I also wanted to highlight this game because it was a perfect example of what Harrison was asked to do in this offense. He had 11 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown against Penn State’s Kalen King, one of the best corners in the country entering the season, and every single catch and yard was absolutely crucial. If you watched this game live you’d remember how neither offense could move the ball whatsoever, so Ohio State did what they did every week, and pressed the Harrison Jr button and asked him to bail the offense out, and he did just that.
Harrison shows you every tool in his bag in this game. He beats press coverage with his feet and creates separation across the middle of the field. He finds the whole in the zone and makes a contested catch near the sideline. He also catches the ball in space and uses his speed and athleticism to blow past the defense for the game-sealing touchdown. However, my favorite play of his entire career comes at the 1:32 mark of this video. On 3rd and 10, with everyone in the world knowing the ball is going to #18, he gets tackled before the ball even gets to him but still gets his body to the first down and makes a one-handed catch anyway.
Harrison’s strengths are obvious. He’s big and physical and can play through contact. He won’t be phased or bothered by any corner he finds at the next level and is dominant at the catch point. As I’ll explain more below, he has elite top-end speed. He has long strides and will never get caught from behind.
However, there are still a few things he can improve. I won’t call them weaknesses because he’s not bad in these areas, but no one is perfect. He had a couple of strange, uncharacteristic drops this season. He only had six on the season, and most of them seemed to be only focus issues, but that’s something he could clean up. The last thing is his footwork at the release. While he can win against press coverage with his feet, it’s not something he’s excellent at like Malik Nabers.
The Measurables
Harrison measured in at 6’3’’ and 209 pounds at March’s NFL Scouting Combine. However, he did not participate in any of the other tests or on-field drills. He made a statement that he would skip the drills and is instead staying in Columbus to prepare for the NFL.
Courtesy of RAS.
While we don’t have any combine information for Harrison, we do have plenty of evidence of his speed and athleticism. According to Reel Analytics, Harrison was clocked at 22.2 MPH against Youngstown State when he took this deep ball to the house. This was the tenth-highest speed registered in the country this year.
🚨Generational Talent Alert🚨
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. is the top-rated receiver on every draft board.
A truly generational talent at the WR position, Harrison Jr. brings an unparalleled blend of size, speed, IQ, pedigree, and athleticism that sets him apart as one of… pic.twitter.com/oPLc9D06uo
— Reel Analytics (@RAanalytics) February 27, 2024
Harrison Jr also registered a speed of 21.1 MPH in week three. He was one of only five players in college football this season to reach 21 MPH two or more times. Finally, he was second on Bruce Feldman’s freak list entering the season.
All this is to say I’m not overly concerned about Harrison’s speed or athleticism. He displayed his physical traits on a weekly basis in the fall over the last two years and finds himself in a unique position to not have to jump through the hoops of the combine when only a few teams have the opportunity to draft him.
The Value
If I were Harrison, I’d already be looking for property in Phoenix. I hear that Glendale is beautiful! I’d be shocked if he isn’t drafted fourth overall by the Cardinals with three QBs going with the first three picks.
Courtesy of Mock Draft Database.
Harrison is locked in as a top-four pick in the NFL Draft and that is reflected in his dynasty value. He is the WR1 and the consensus 1.02 in dynasty superflex rookie drafts based on DLF’s rookie ADP while coming in at the 1.01 in 1QB leagues. It makes total sense and I completely agree with how the ADP is taking shape.
Courtesy of DLF’s Rookie ADP.
In 1QB leagues, it’s the easiest pick in the entire draft taking him first overall. Even in superflex leagues, I agree taking him at the 1.02 before quarterbacks like Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels is the correct decision. As important as quarterbacks are in superflex leagues, I truly believe that Harrison is a special player and should be taken ahead of them.
Not only is he highly coveted in rookie drafts, but Harrison is already very highly valued in the overall dynasty community. Without ever stepping foot on an NFL field, or even being drafted by an NFL team, he is already valued as the WR5 between Amon-Ra St. Brown and AJ Brown. He’s also found himself in the second round of startup drafts and is being drafted around the 2.10.
Courtesy of DLF’s February Startup ADP.
The Outlook
It seems like we hear the phrase “generational talent” a whole lot these days in the draft community in order to generate buzz about the incoming players. However, it’s hard to disagree with putting that label on Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison is looked in as a top-five NFL Draft pick. Like I said before, I see no scenario where he falls past Arizona at #4; the only way he doesn’t end up a Cardinal is if someone ahead of them decides to take the Ohio State product themselves. There are a lot of high-upside rookie QBs being drafted around him, but there isn’t a player in this rookie class with a safer dynasty value than Harrison. He’s already being valued at WR5 before he’s even held an introductory press conference, there is almost no way I see him falling out of that spot unless his rookie season is an abject disaster which doesn’t seem likely.
His fantasy value is completely protected and should hardly dip over the next five seasons based on the idea of him as a prospect and what he will undoubtedly do on the field. This time next year I believe there is a better chance that he’s the dynasty WR1 than the WR8. If he gets drafted by Arizona I’d anticipate 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie with Kyler Murray.
If you’re sitting at the 1.01 in 1QB leagues then take Harrison and be thankful. If you’re in superflex leagues I’d even consider taking him at the 1.01, but if you’re sitting at the 1.02 and he falls to you then you’ll be very happy he did.
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: A View from the 1.02 - April 22, 2024
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Drafts: A View from the 1.06 - April 18, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Devontez Walker, WR South Carolina - April 17, 2024
