What are we making of Marvin Harrison? One year in, he’s looking good but not necessarily great.
The rookie taken just after him, Malik Nabers, was a lot more productive and dynamic last year. So was the other LSU receiver taken in the first round, Brian Thomas. Second-rounder Ladd McConkey was a lot busier.
Harrison managed 8 touchdowns, but he finished the season with a relatively modest 62 catches for 885 yards. That’s under 4 catches per week.
It’s just one season, but Harrison doesn’t seem to have an elite top gear. (He had the good business sense to not confirm as much by running at the combine last year). I think pretty much every team, if given the choice today, would take both Nabers and Thomas before Harrison.
But Harrison also doesn’t look like a bust. Below see the rundown of the 31 wide receivers selected with top-10 picks in the 32-team era. His first-year numbers are above-average when compared to those guys, whether by total production (PPR scoring), per-game production or yards per target.
He comes in slightly below-average in catch percentage, but he ran more downfield routes than most of those guys.
There’s been a fair number of top-10 receivers who have been misses, but they all tend to show up in the bottom third in whatever metric you choose. Harrison is comfortable above those guys.
WIDE RECEIVERS SELECTED WITH TOP-10 PICKS | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | PPR | Rk |
2021 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 17 | 81 | 1455 | 18.0 | 13 | 306.6 | 5 |
2024 | • Malik Nabers, NYG | 15 | 109 | 1204 | 11.1 | 7 | 273.6 | 6 |
2021 | Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 16 | 104 | 1015 | 9.8 | 6 | 247.8 | 12 |
2014 | Mike Evans, T.B. | 15 | 68 | 1051 | 15.5 | 12 | 245.1 | 13 |
2011 | A.J. Green, Cin. | 15 | 65 | 1057 | 16.3 | 7 | 218.0 | 17 |
2022 | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 17 | 83 | 1103 | 13.3 | 4 | 217.7 | 21 |
2015 | Amari Cooper, Oak. | 16 | 72 | 1070 | 14.9 | 6 | 214.7 | 21 |
2011 | Julio Jones, Atl. | 13 | 54 | 959 | 17.8 | 8 | 203.5 | 21 |
2014 | Sammy Watkins, Buff. | 16 | 65 | 982 | 15.1 | 6 | 200.0 | 27 |
2024 | Marvin Harrison, Ari. | 17 | 62 | 885 | 14.3 | 8 | 198.5 | 30 |
2021 | DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 17 | 64 | 916 | 14.3 | 5 | 187.6 | 30 |
2003 | Andre Johnson, Hou. | 16 | 66 | 976 | 14.8 | 4 | 186.6 | 22 |
2004 | Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. | 16 | 58 | 780 | 13.5 | 8 | 185.4 | 31 |
2012 | Justin Blackmon, Jac. | 16 | 64 | 865 | 13.5 | 5 | 184.8 | 29 |
2022 | Drake London, Atl. | 17 | 72 | 866 | 12.0 | 4 | 184.6 | 28 |
2004 | Roy Williams, Det. | 14 | 54 | 817 | 15.1 | 8 | 183.8 | 32 |
2007 | Calvin Johnson, Det. | 15 | 48 | 756 | 15.8 | 4 | 158.8 | 38 |
2024 | • Rome Odunze, Chi. | 17 | 54 | 734 | 13.6 | 3 | 146.9 | 49 |
2013 | Tavon Austin, St.L. | 13 | 40 | 418 | 10.5 | 4 | 132.9 | 53 |
2009 | Michael Crabtree, S.F. | 11 | 48 | 625 | 13.0 | 2 | 122.5 | 60 |
2005 | Braylon Edwards, Cle. | 10 | 32 | 512 | 16.0 | 3 | 101.2 | 67 |
2007 | Ted Ginn, Mia. | 16 | 34 | 420 | 12.4 | 2 | 94.3 | 74 |
2005 | Troy Williamson, Min. | 14 | 24 | 372 | 15.5 | 2 | 76.0 | 82 |
2017 | Corey Davis, Ten. | 11 | 34 | 375 | 11.0 | 0 | 71.5 | 85 |
2005 | Mike Williams, Det. | 14 | 29 | 350 | 12.1 | 1 | 70.0 | 88 |
2003 | Charles Rogers, Det. | 5 | 22 | 243 | 11.1 | 3 | 66.0 | 88 |
2004 | Reggie Williams, Jac. | 16 | 27 | 268 | 9.9 | 1 | 63.8 | 93 |
2009 | Darrius Heyward-Bey, Oak. | 11 | 9 | 124 | 13.8 | 1 | 29.3 | 118 |
2017 | Mike Williams, LAC | 10 | 11 | 95 | 8.6 | 0 | 20.5 | 139 |
2017 | John Ross, Cin. | 3 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | 1.2 | 199 |
2015 | Kevin White, Chi. | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | 0 | .0 | -- |
—Ian Allan