Marvin Harrison Jr. would like to play in the preseason. He could use the reps, he said, and in fact, thinks the college game could use a preseason game or two as well so players could be better prepared for the season.
Yet, it is what Harrison will do in the games that count that draws the interest. The fourth overall pick is going to be the Cardinals' top wide receiver. How that translates to the statistics Harrison piles up will be a weekly storyline.
If Harrison has any specific objectives he is trying to reach, he isn't saying.
"Everybody has individual goals," Harrison said after practice on Thursday. "Here, it's team-first, so whatever my goals might be, I try to put the team-first. They brought me here to win, so that's my No. 1 goal, to help this team win football games."
Harrison has looked terrific in camp so far, but again, that was predicted. He draws high praise from whomever is asked, whether it be about his work ethic, ability, or attitude.
"You watch him (and) when a guy's got it, he's got it," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "He definitely has it."
Anquan Boldin was the last Cardinals rookie to have 1,000 yards receiving, with 1,377 back in 2003. Starting with that season, 28 wide receivers have been chosen with top 10 picks in the draft prior to 2024.
Of those 28, only six managed to have 1,000 yards in their first season. Three of those – Ja'Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle, and Garrett Wilson – have been drafted in the past three seasons.
TOP 10 PICKS AT WIDE RECEIVER WITH 1,000 YARDS AS ROOKIE
| Name | Year | Team | Rec | Yards | TDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anquan Boldin* | 2003 | Cardinals | 101 | 1377 | 8 |
| A.J. Green | 2011 | Bengals | 65 | 1057 | 7 |
| Mike Evans | 2014 | Buccaneers | 68 | 1051 | 12 |
| Amari Cooper | 2015 | Raiders | 72 | 1070 | 6 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 2021 | Bengals | 81 | 1455 | 13 |
| Jalen Waddle | 2021 | Dolphins | 101 | 1015 | 6 |
| Garrett Wilson | 2022 | Jets | 83 | 1103 | 4 |
* - second-round pick
Among those who fell short was Larry Fitzgerald, who had 780 yards as a rookie in 2004. He turned out to be pretty good.
Others that didn't get to 1,000 yards as a rookie but were top 10 picks: Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones – all of whom (with Fitz) are in Canton or will be.
Watching Harrison work feels like watching a 1,000-yard guy. If he stays healthy, 1,000 yards works out to 59 yards a game, a number that seems ridiculously low for someone of Harrison's talent. Then again, the Cardinals leaned into the running game a year ago and figured to do so again, and have tight end Trey McBride and a young wide receiver like Michael Wilson that can also be used. Harrison, meanwhile, is going to draw a defense's attention.
"If I open things up for other players, that's great, because that's helping the team win," Harrison said.
Even if Murray is throwing him the ball often, coach Jonathan Gannon warned of the adjustments Harrison will have to make each week, going against defenders of different body types playing in different schemes.
But Gannon said Harrison already has a good rapport with Murray. And in offensive meetings, Harrison's intelligence is obvious, as he asks about how Murray might see a play differently than is in the playbook, and how that can change how Harrison runs a route.
"You don't have to push him to work, to study, to prepare," offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said. "That's part of who he is.
"It's like he's been here for years."
Harrison is the guy pushing himself – "I put a lot of pressure on myself. My standards for myself are very high" – because he knows what he can be. A couple months ago, he ran into Devin Fitzgerald, son of Larry, at a Texas Roadhouse and the two talked. Harrison has not yet met the elder Fitzgerald but he traded phone numbers with Devin, the two talking about playing wide receiver after their fathers had Hall of Fame careers.
Harrison said he wants to go to one of Devin's football games (he is a junior playing at Phoenix Brophy) and tried to give Devin advice about being the son.
His teammates already see how Harrison is his own man.
"He's a guy who can create his own history," cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting said. "He's a guy who comes from a lot of history but he's trying to pave his own way and his own path. I think he's one of one."
Harrison will let others talk about him. It isn't his style to do it himself. He's just thinking about playing a few preseason snaps.
"There is definitely a confidence element that you have to have to play football – any sport, really," Harrison said. "For me, I try to go out and get better every single day. I don't really think about who I am. I moreso think about what I am trying to be. I appreciate all the praise from those guys, but me, I'm thinking about where I am trying to get to."
