Marvin Harrison Jr.’s name has started to surface in trade chatter, and the conversation is being driven by the gap between the expectations that followed him into the league and the production Arizona has gotten so far.
NFL reporter Charles Robinson dug into the possibility and asked front-office people around the league what kind of market Harrison might have. One general manager framed the evaluation problem this way:
“He is a player that is getting judged relative to what he was supposed to be, while people are losing sight of the fact that he is still a useful player,” the GM said.
That tension is at the center of the discussion. Robinson reported that three front offices view Harrison as worth a late second-round pick, pointing to what he did at Ohio State and the “uneven nature of the Arizona Cardinals franchise that he was drafted into.”
“I think what we saw at Ohio State is still in there. But [in just over two seasons] he’s had two coaching staffs, [two] quarterbacks, an injury - it fits into the production and probably where his head is.
… Football environment comes out. That’s not meant to criticize this [current] Arizona coaching staff, either.
I’m sure they inherited whatever happened with Marvin in 2025,”
a personnel executive said.
Other evaluators were a little lower. Robinson said four front office executives pegged Harrison as a third-round pick plus another piece, such as a late-round selection or a package of pick swaps. One GM pointed to the Cowboys’ trade for George Pickens, when Dallas sent a third- and fifth-round pick for Pickens and a sixth-rounder coming back.
There was also discussion of a player-for-player deal. One GM in that camp suggested Harrison could be moved for a player who no longer fits a team’s coaching staff or scheme, and referenced the Titans-Jets trade of DT T’Vondre Sweat for DE Jermaine Johnson. That same GM mentioned Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. as a possible name in a Harrison swap.
As for destinations, Robinson ruled out the Rams, Packers and 49ers because their scheme looks too similar to Arizona’s. He said a team bringing Harrison in should already know him, which is why the Bills and Texans came up.
Houston QB C.J. Stroud played with Harrison in 2022 at Ohio State, while Bills WR coach Drew Terrell coached him in Arizona in 2024 and 2025.
Robinson also said Bills WR Keon Coleman would be a logical one-for-one trade candidate.
He also listed the Patriots, Steelers, Colts, Texans and Bills as teams that could make sense if they need receiver help. Robinson noted that a strong stretch from Harrison would cool the speculation, but if the Cardinals struggle and other teams get desperate at the position, a deadline move could become real.
Harrison, 24, is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. At Ohio State, he was a three-year starter and won the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year award, along with consensus All-American honors and the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award.
Arizona took him fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $35,374,742 deal that included a $22,547,084 signing bonus, $35,374,742 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $8,843,686.
In 2025, Harrison appeared in 12 games and caught 41 passes for 608 yards and four touchdowns. In 2026, he has played in three games and has four catches on nine targets for 73 yards.
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