The Bengals’ receiver room suddenly looks even thinner, and that makes one possible trade target stand out even more.
Cincinnati already had one of the league’s most dangerous passing attacks, built around Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But both wideouts were dinged up on Sunday: Higgins is dealing with a groin injury, while Chase is in concussion protocol. That only sharpens the spotlight on a glaring problem behind them, because the Bengals have one of the worst No. 3 wide receiver situations in the NFL.
If Cincinnati is going to hunt for help, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the name that jumps off the page.
Harrison has not matched the sky-high expectations that followed him into the league, which has made him a somewhat underappreciated player at the moment. But the talent is obvious. He has the tools to become one of the better No. 2 receivers in the league, and in the right setup, he could get there.
That’s where the Bengals make sense. Higgins and Harrison are nearly identical in style, which could make Higgins the ideal mentor for a young receiver still finding his footing. And landing in an offense loaded with talent would also take some of the burden off Harrison.
The profile is easy to like. Harrison has strong hands, polished route running, and he’s been an elite jump-ball threat.
Those traits just haven’t shown up in the NFL the way evaluators expected, at least not yet. But he’s still very young, and if the trade cost is manageable, Cincinnati should be willing to take the swing.
That was the kind of player Harrison was viewed as coming out of the 2024 NFL Draft, too. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described him this way: "Harrison comes from impressive NFL bloodlines and possesses similarities that made his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, special.
Harrison can run but isn’t a burner. What makes him tough to handle is his consistent play speed paired with quality salesmanship in his routes.
He’s able to uncover no matter where he’s aligned or which part of the field his assignment takes him to, and he is capable of finishing catches in a crowd," Lance Zierlein wrote on NFL.com. "Harrison can be sudden while working possession routes, and he’s well qualified to beat any opponent with his ball skills if the battle heads deep.
Harrison is a touchdown champ with a variety of ways to excel, and that characteristic figures to follow him into the pros. He has the traits and tools to win in all three phases of the route and on all three levels of the field.
He’s a pedigree prospect and a Day 1 starter with high-end production expected."
That’s the kind of upside Cincinnati should be chasing if the price is right. The injuries to Higgins and Chase only make the fit easier to see, but the larger appeal is what Harrison could mean once the Bengals’ receiver group is whole again.
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Rex Ryan Just Sparked A New Bengals Debate Around Joe Burrow
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Former Bengals Star Sounds Alarm On A Problem Burrow Can't Escape
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Bengals Suddenly Have 3 Trade Deadline Holes To Fix Around Burrow
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The clearest needs are becoming hard to ignore: a complementary running back to take some pressure off the offense, another receiver who can deepen the rotation, and help at safety to stabilize the back end. None of those fixes is simple, but if Cincinnati wants to keep pace in a crowded AFC picture, this is the part of the season when a targeted move could matter most. [Read more 🡒]