Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray sounds giddy about the prospect of receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. taking flight in his rookie season.
“I think that takes us to another level,” Murray said via ESPN. “When you got a guy out there that is capable of winning one-on-ones, obviously he’s got to go do it and he knows that. We all know it, but as far as manipulating coverage and stuff like that, you got a guy out there that can do that and even if he’s not open, he’s open.
“I’m excited to be able to build that with him, but when he does what he does, yeah, I fully expect our offense to be top of the league.”
It’s notable when any quarterback talks about a rookie receiver like Murray does Harrison. You can highlighter it, particularly when that quarterback has shown in the past that he’s willing to force-feed a top target with whom he has complete trust, as Murray did when DeAndre Hopkins was patrolling the desert.
The moment the Cardinals turned in the draft card with Harrison Jr.’s name on it, he immediately became Arizona’s top receiver — no ifs, ands or buts about it.
However, early in the offseason, Harrison made a point of lining up behind veterans during drills, understanding his place as a rookie. By the end of spring workouts, those veterans pushed him to the front of the line, acknowledging his standing in the corps.
“I didn’t want to come in here with a big head,” Harrison said. “I knew I had to earn everything, so just simple things like that. Let them go in front as they rightfully deserve. And then they kinda allow me to go in front now because they understand what I can bring to the team.”
Harrison Jr. can bring the dynamic ability to win at all three levels, get open in one-on-one matchups, and roll coverage to take pressure off other receivers. The No. 4 pick’s upside completely opens up Drew Petzing’s offense.
Second-year cornerback Garrett Williams described Harrison as “special.”
“You look at his height and then you look at his movement ability, those two things usually don’t match up like that,” Williams said. “So, for him to do it and make everything look so easily, the ball tracking ability, he’s everything people said he is.”
Everything includes quickly becoming a leader in the receiver room.
