Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Could Make History in 2024 NFL Draft

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has the chance to become one of the highest draft picks in program history.

Author:
Casey Smith
May 3, 2023 8:47 PM EDT

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Ohio State Buckeyes

There's no question that Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the best-returning talents in college football next season.

He gave NFL scouts, coaches, and personnel a first-hand look at his talents at Ohio State's Pro Day on March 22, and he seized the opportunity and garnered rave reviews. As the 2023 NFL Draft saw four Buckeyes get selected, mock drafts have Harrison as the next great Ohio State prospect in 2024.

There are six separate outlets — The Athletic, CBS Sports, The Sporting News, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Focus, and Fox Sports — that have Harrison going No. 2 to the Arizona Cardinals behind USC quarterback Caleb Williams in next year's draft. SB Nation's big board has Harrison as the top prospect.

Whether he's the first or second overall selection, either or would make him the highest-drafted Ohio State wide receiver — an honor that Terry Glenn has held for 27 years after being selected with the No. 7 overall pick by the New England Patriots in the 1996 NFL Draft.

If he goes No. 1, he would join Tom Cousineau in 1979, Dan Wilkinson in 1994 and Orlando Pace in 1997 as the only Buckeyes taken with the first-overall selection. If he becomes the second No. 2 pick in as many years, he would join Jim McDonald, Chase Young, Nick Bosa and C.J. Stroud as the fifth player in program history taken in that slot.

In the common draft era since 1967, there have been three receivers taken second overall — Lam Jones to the New York Jets in 1980 and Charles Rogers in 2003 and Calvin Johnson in 2007 both by the Detroit Lions — and two pass-catchers selected with the top pick — Irving Fryar by the Patriots in 1984 and Keyshawn Johnson to the Jets in 1996.

The five wide receivers taken in the top-two picks have combined to play in 633 career games, catching 2,570 passes for 37,737 yards and 248 touchdowns.

Calvin Johnson is the only player of the five to be elected to the Hall of Fame, getting inducted in 2021.

Harrison has the chance to become the fourth Buckeyes wide receiver selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in a three-year span and the 12th all-time.