NFL Analysis
2/23/24
4 min read
2024 NFL Draft: Is Marvin Harrison Jr. Truly a Generational Talent?
The word "generational" is thrown around pretty recklessly nowadays.
There are a few prospects every year that some call “generational.” The 2024 NFL Draft holds two top prospects who have been discussed as such: Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr.
Today, we'll look at Harrison and whether or not he deserves to be labeled a generational prospect coming out of Ohio State.
What does "generational" really mean? According to Urban Diction, "generational talent" is “something or someone that is so good that someone/thing equal in quality only comes around a few times in a generation.”
As talented as Harrison is, he wouldn't be considered a generational prospect in my opinion.
Why not?
Rare... But Generational?
Let me say that Harrison is my No. 1 prospect in April's draft. I love pretty much every aspect of his game. But as talented as he is, we've seen prospects like Ja’Marr Chase, Julio Jones, A.J. Green, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald drafted in the last 20-25 years.
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So by the definition of "generational," Harrison is lumped in with some all-time greats. And I wouldn't consider him to be better than (or even as good as) some of those guys entering the league in their respective draft years.
Out of the five receivers listed above, Johnson is the only receiver I'd hand the generational label to because of how freaky athletic he was coming out of Georgia Tech. As solid as an athlete as Harrison is, he is not the height, weight and speed athlete Johnson proved to be with the Detroit Lions.
Harrison is a rare prospect, and that's the title I think he deserves.
In his three years at Ohio State, Harrison recorded more than 2,613 receiving yards, hauled in 155 receptions and scored 31 touchdowns.
His ability to play with consistency game-in and game-out is one of his more redeeming traits. While Harrison is a good athlete, he'll have to prove just how dynamic of an athlete he is at next week's combine. There are some questions surrounding whether he's truly an elite, explosive athlete.
...Many Think So
While I won't be assigning the "generational" tag to Harrison, I understand why some will. Harrison, as I mentioned above, is one of the rarer prospects we've seen as a receiver in a few years.
He has the size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) and the long speed (he's expected to run a 40-yard time in the low 4.3 seconds). He's absolutely an elite route runner. And his rare body control and catch-radius traits allow him to make catches all over the field.
Harrison also ranked near the top of the nation in yards per route run, receiving grade against man coverage, deep yards and deep catches. Harrison’s ability to affect the game at a high level in all three levels of the field is something you don't see many young receivers entering the NFL do.
For as good as Harrison is, the concern holding him back from being labeled a “generational prospect” is his lack of yards-after-catch skills; we didn't see a lot of those when he was with the Buckeyes. Harrison only accounted for five missed tackles forced in 2023 and averaged 6.4 yards after catch per reception.
We can compare that with Malik Nabers, the No. 2 receiver in this class, who accounted for 30 missed tackles forced and averaged 6.6 yards after catch per reception at LSU in 2023.
One of the biggest reasons I’m not viewing Harrison as that generational prospect is due to how closely Nabers graded out behind him. While I have a higher grade on Harrison, Nabers is in the same grading tie, with Rome Odunze a tier below.
Heading into the draft, it would not be totally unrealistic to think some teams could have Nabers just slightly ahead of Harrison because Nabers is more explosive and more successful after the catch. Again next week, Harrison can silence some of the critics at the combine regarding the questions surrounding his high-end athletic traits.
While he’s expected to run well in the 40-yard dash and three-come, all eyes will be on his jumps. His explosiveness is one of the biggest and only concerns in Harrison’s evaluation.
Harrison is the real deal. He is the total package. He will enter the league likely being the best wide receiver on the team that drafts him from the moment he steps into the building. But for as rare as he is, I still don't see him as "generational."
That doesn't mean he can't — and won't — have a Hall of Fame–caliber career. With his skill set and bloodlines, there's a good chance he's capable of reaching that ceiling.
