The New York Giants currently hold the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft, positioning them to land an elite wide receiver prospect in the first round. However, which wide receiver prospect the Giants could take will be determined by the number of quarterbacks that get selected within the top five picks.
A potential run on quarterbacks at the top of the draft could have a domino effect on the rest of the first round. There is a chance that quarterbacks could be taken with each of the first four picks in the draft. In that scenario, the Giants would have a realistic chance of landing this NFL Draft class’s top non-quarterback prospect — WR Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State.
Quarterbacks could force Marvin Harrison Jr. down the NFL Draft board
Once thought of as a potential No. 1 pick — or at the minimum a lock for the top three — Harrison now has a chance to fall outside of the top five. If quarterbacks get drafted with the first four picks, the team to watch will be the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5. They very well could take Harrison (or trade the pick to another team that subsequently takes the OSU pass-catcher), but there is a strong chance that Los Angeles addresses their offensive line instead.
The top five picks in the NFL Draft could potentially look something like this:
- No. 1, Chicago Bears: USC QB Caleb Williams
- No. 2, Washington Commanders: LSU QB Jayden Daniels
- No. 3, New England Patriots: UNC QB Drake Maye
- No. 4, Minnesota Vikings (via ARZ): Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
- No. 5, Los Angeles Chargers: Notre Dame OT Joe Alt
If the first five picks end up looking like that, the best player available for the Giants at No. 6 will be Harrison. They could stick and pick, selecting the consensus best wide receiver prospect in the draft class.
What would Harrison Jr. bring to the Giants?
Harrison is widely considered to be the best non-quarterback prospect in this year’s draft class. The 21-year-old wide receiver will step into the league with major expectations as he follows in the footsteps of his father, Indianapolis Colts Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison Sr.
So far, Harrison has lived up to the hype. He topped 1,200 receiving yards and totaled exactly 14 receiving touchdowns in each of his last two collegiate seasons. Pro Football Focus has Harrison ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in this draft class, describing him as a “WR-1 caliber” player:
“Harrison comes from Hall of Fame bloodlines, and you can see that in his tape without even knowing his last name,” PFF’s Trevor Sikkema wrote. “He has a truly rare blend of size, speed, strength, and football IQ for such a young player. He will be a WR1-caliber player the day he is drafted, and one in the mold of a Tier 1 NFL wideout.”
If the Giants were to draft Harrison, they would be upgrading their passing attack in a drastic fashion. New York has not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018. Harrison would likely end that drought immediately.
After losing RB Saquon Barkley in free agency this offseason, the Giants’ offense is lacking a star playmaker. Harrison could be that star and serve as the ultimate weapon in head coach Brian Daboll’s offense. It once seemed like a pipe dream, but now the chances of drafting Harrison are realistic. Thursday night could be a rather exciting one for Giants fans.
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