• A breakout recreation to recollect: Despite managing simply 4 receiving yards in Week 1, Harrison now trails solely Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. in receiving yards among the many rookie class after dominating in Week 2 in opposition to the Rams.
• Arizona has favorable Weeks 3 and 4 matchups: Harrison ought to proceed to thrive in opposition to the shaky protection models of the Lions and the Commanders.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full entry to all our in-season fantasy instruments, together with weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer and extra. Sign up now!
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, the highest non-quarterback prospect was arguably Ohio State extensive receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The son of Peyton Manning’s favourite goal, Harrison loved a dominant profession as a Buckeye, twice being unanimously named an All-American and successful the 2023 Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s high receiver, in addition to the Big Ten’s MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Harrison didn’t have to attend lengthy to listen to his title known as on draft day. With the fourth total decide, the Arizona Cardinals made him the primary non-quarterback off the board. Expectations have been lofty, as Harrison was thought-about one of many high receiver prospects of the previous decade.
To say his NFL regular-season debut was a disappointment is an understatement.
In Week 1 in opposition to the Buffalo Bills, Harrison was focused simply 3 times and caught one go for 4 yards and a forty five.8 PFF receiving grade with a drop blended in. The drop was an unpleasant one, as Harrison was extensive open in a large gap within the Bills’ zone that may have simply gone for a primary down and probably rather more. His solely reception was on a fast hitch route the place he was matched up with a linebacker, who instantly made the sort out for no further achieve.
Sometime between Weeks 1 and a couple of, a swap flipped for Harrison; he was a very completely different receiver in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams.
The rookie caught 4 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to the Rams, with all 4 of his receptions leading to both first downs or touchdowns. Two of his 4 catches have been additionally contested targets, and on one he managed to pull his ft at the back of the tip zone for a rating with a defender draped over him. Both contested catches got here in opposition to former Bills standout Tre’Davious White, who lined up in opposition to Harrison for a lot of the sport. Harrison nearly doubled his PFF receiving grade from the earlier week, placing up a 90.9 mark in that class.
Highest-Graded Week 2 WRs | 2024
In all, Harrison’s 91.2 PFF total grade led the place in Week 2. Only the Houston Texans‘ Nico Collins and the Minnesota Vikings‘ Justin Jefferson had extra receiving yards than Harrison’s 130, and the distinction was marginal. Despite managing simply 4 receiving yards in Week 1, Harrison now trails solely Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers and Brian Thomas Jr. in receiving yards among the many rookie class. And he has fewer receptions and fewer catchable targets (six) than all of them. Harrison additionally trails solely Thomas within the rookie class with a 130.3 passer score when focused, rating seventh amongst all gamers with at the very least 10 targets.
Highest-Graded Rookie WRs | 2024
The Cardinals’ subsequent two opponents current favorable matchups for Harrison. In Week 3, they host the Detroit Lions, whose 62.9 workforce protection grade ranks simply nineteenth, and their highest-graded cornerback, Amik Robertson, carries only a 60.7 PFF protection grade. After that, Arizona will likely be at residence in opposition to the Washington Commanders, who rank useless final in workforce protection grade (44.0). Three of the 5 cornerbacks to play a protection snap for Washington have protection grades beneath 50.0.
Harrison is in a chief place to additional enhance on his breakout efficiency from Week 2 and provides the Cardinals a receiver who will remind them of the times of Larry Fitzgerald.