INDIANAPOLIS — Seventeen years ago, the Detroit Lions had the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft and their choice seemed clear. With the Oakland Raiders expected to take LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, the Lions would be in position to select Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson Jr., Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas or Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson.
The popular pick was Johnson, a can’t-miss prospect. Local media pleaded with team president Matt Millen. “Matt, for the love of God, please don’t screw this up.” Even offensive coordinator Mike Martz got involved, writing fake letters, sealing them in envelopes and placing them on the desk of head coach Rod Marinelli.
Dear Coach Marinelli,
I always wanted to play for you. Always wanted to be a Detroit Lion.
Calvin
“He was a no-brainer,” Martz said Wednesday by telephone. “I mean, my gosh. His size, his speed, his competitiveness. How could you not?”
Entering April’s NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals find themselves in a similar situation. Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. is not the same type of receiver as Johnson, who ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But he’s considered an elite prospect and the best receiver to enter the draft in years, a playmaker Arizona desperately needs.
The problem: The Cardinals have several needs.
In addition to wide receiver, they need a defensive tackle. And a pass rusher. At least one cornerback. And with left tackle D.J. Humphries expected to miss the bulk of the season recovering from ACL surgery, an offensive lineman. With about $50 million in cap space, per OvertheCap.com, the Cardinals can address some of this in free agency, but good teams build through the draft. Arizona, with one postseason appearance in eight seasons, cannot afford mistakes.
The most interesting part of this is the man in charge. Entering his second year, GM Monti Ossenfort talked this week about how different this scouting combine feels. Last year at this time, with the organization in transition, Ossenfort was meeting Arizona assistant coaches for the first time. The Cardinals had their first complete staff meeting in Indianapolis. “It was a little bit of a whirlwind,” Ossenfort said. This time, everything’s in place.
Before arriving in Arizona, Ossenfort worked as director of college scouting with the New England Patriots and director of player personnel with the Tennessee Titans.* In his first year with the Cardinals, he showed boldness. Ossenfort traded the No. 3 pick, which he could have used to select Will Anderson, the draft’s top pass rusher, for additional draft capital, including Houston’s first-round draft pick this year, which turned out to be No. 27.
(*In case anyone is wondering, Ossenfort’s teams during this nine-year stretch selected receivers in the first round twice. In 2019, the Patriots chose Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry at No. 32. And in 2022, the Titans chose Arkansas’ Treylon Burks at No. 18. In five drafts, Ossenfort’s teams drafted offensive or defensive linemen.)
Year 2‼️ Beyond Blessed🙏🏾 #AGTG pic.twitter.com/nlHzZRwbWD
— Marvin Harrison Jr. (@MarvHarrisonJr) January 23, 2023
The Cardinals are in a similar position this year.
Ossenfort said he has not yet taken phone calls from teams interested in the fourth pick. (It’s much too early for such things.) He also said he has no idea how the first three picks will unfold. While Chicago (Caleb Williams) and Washington (Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels) are expected to take quarterbacks, New England could go a different direction at No. 3. Nothing is guaranteed. Harrison may not be available.
“That’s one of the challenges of the draft, trying to anticipate,” Ossenfort said.
One question may be Harrison’s position. Over the last six years, only one receiver — Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, in 2021 — has gone in the draft’s top five. It is prime territory mostly reserved for quarterbacks, pass rushers and cornerbacks. (Told this, Martz, the former offensive coordinator and NFL head coach, scoffed. “That’s all board talk,” he said.) For a receiver to break into the group, someone important has to think he’s a future star. With Harrison, many do. And LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze may not be far behind.
At one point last season, many thought the Cardinals would tank to try and position themselves to land Williams, the USC quarterback. Head coach Jonathan Gannon ended such talk after Kyler Murray returned midseason from ACL surgery, calling Murray the organization’s franchise QB. This week he said having Murray healthy for offseason work and training camp would provide a significant boost.
“The game will go through 1,” Gannon said, referring to Murray’s jersey number.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is committed to Kyler Murray at quarterback, which makes drafting offensive playmakers a priority. (Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Today)
Thus, the importance of playmakers. Outside of Murray, Arizona’s best offensive player last season was running back James Conner, whose punishing style and attitude set a tone. Tight end Trey McBride wasn’t far behind, contributing in the run and pass game, showing Pro Bowl potential. Arizona’s wide receivers, however, struggled.
They accounted for just 44.2 percent of Arizona’s receptions and 52.2 percent of its receiving yards, both marks ranking near the bottom of the league. Murray’s recovery and McBride’s emergence were factors in this. And injuries to Marquise Brown and rookie Michael Wilson did not help. In 14 games, Brown had 51 catches for 574 yards, but he’s a free agent and may not return.
Harrison would help immediately.
“Playmaker,” Gannon said when asked what stands out to him about Harrison. “Anytime he touches it, he can score points.”
“Hey, Marvin’s been a great player,” Ossenfort said. “He’s been a productive player here these past couple of years. It’s a strong receiver draft. It is. There’s good players at the top of the draft. There’s good depth throughout the mid-rounds. You could certainly put Marvin in that mix.”
The Cardinals have six picks in the top 100. It’s hard to imagine they won’t address their playmaker needs. But to land Harrison, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing may want to draft some letters, just like Martz did in 2007. Just in case.
Dear Coach Gannon …
It couldn’t hurt.
GO DEEPER
NFL Mock Draft: Our college football writers project Round 1
(Top photo of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Ohio State teammate Carson Hinzman celebrating a touchdown in a November game against Rutgers: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)
