Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ex NFL Coach Gets Honest on Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.

Originally posted on Arizona Cardinals on SI
By Donnie Druin | Last updated Dec 28, 2024 1:42 PM ET

It's no secret that Arizona Cardinals rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn't exactly lived up to expectations in year one.

Such is life for the league's No. 4 overall pick in an offense that just can't seem to figure itself out.

Harrison by no means has been a massive disappointment, catching 51 passes for 726 yards and seven touchdowns through 15 games - though when a prospect labeled as generational comes through, more results are expected.

That's something Harrison himself touched on recently - you can read more about that here.

Former NFL coach Jay Gruden - when speaking with Underdog Fantasy - dropped the following thoughts on Harrison:

"I've seen a lot of drops, a lot of leaking out of his routes, no suddenness to his in and out of cuts... I think he's got a long way to go... quite honestly I've just been disappointed."@Coach_JayGruden weighs in on Marvin Harrison Jr.'s rookie season pic.twitter.com/suE8QZAlOX
— Underdog (@UnderdogFantasy) December 26, 2024

"Marvin Harrison by no means had a bad rookie season, but maybe not played as good as people have expected him to. I know he's a rookie and there's a lot of learning he has to do, but at the end of the day I expected him to have about 10-15 touchdowns. Using his length, his leaping ability, I just haven't seen a whole lot of that," Gruden said.

"I've seen a lot of drops, a lot of leaking out of his routes. No suddenness to his in and out of cuts. Now he's still a very good receiver, don't get me wrong, but I just expected a dominating type kid that can rub by people, catch the ball and run through a catch every now and then, stiff arm somebody - you just don't see that.

"You see catch and fall down out of bounds, maybe a back of the end zone shot and that's about it. I think he's got a long way to go but I still think he's got the ability to become a very good football player. Quite honestly I've just been disappointed."

This article first appeared on Arizona Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: