The Arizona Cardinals hope to be relevant in 2025 following an 8-9 season last year when they lost five of their last seven games. One player expected to be great last season was receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in his rookie campaign. He wasn’t great, but he was productive, having one of the best rookie receiver seasons in team history.
Entering Year 2 in the NFL, he is one of the 100 most important players in the NFL, according to CBS Sports.
He comes in at No. 39, just after quarterback Kyler Murray, who is No. 38.
The same goes for Marvin Harrison Jr., who was viewed as a sure-thing prospect at wide receiver but finished with 885 yards and caught just 53% of his targets. Of course, a lot of those were tough targets; Harrison only received 29 targets between the numbers, so using him on more immediate routes and away from the sideline could be a helpful first step. Murray hasn’t shown a propensity to target that area of the field, though.
The “same” referred to is the fact that the Cardinals didn’t do much on offense in the offense, so Harrison has some weight on his shoulders.
Harrison has added bulk and size this season, which hopefully will increase his strength and ability to make contested catches.
Harrison’s rookie season was similar to what his Hall of Fame father had as a rookie and also similar to Larry Fitzgerald’s first year.
As long as he stays healthy, he should become a much more dynamic offensive player in 2025.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Marvin Harrison Jr. named one of 100 most important players in 2025