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Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr. Expected For Year 2 Leap

Marvin Harrison Jr. has room to grow for the Arizona Cardinals this season.
Jeremy Brener|
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at training camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. | Owen Ziliak / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was good in his rookie season, but he has more left in the tank.

Harrison's ranked 33rd in the NFL for receiving yards, which is good for a rookie, but the second-year pro has more to prove, according to Bleacher Report writer Brent Sobleski.

"Harrison's rookie campaign was littered with long stretches of inactivity as a target. The wide receiver's production often came in bunches, particularly early in games, before defenses adjusted. In fact, his first four touchdown receptions occurred in the first quarter," Sobleski wrote.

"The rookie managed 62 catches for 885 yards and eight scores. For comparison, his Hall of Fame father caught 64 passes for 836 yards and eight touchdowns during his first season. Huge upside still exists in the current active player.

"However, fellow rookies receivers Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey and tight end Brock Bowers outproduced last year's fourth overall draft pick.

"Arizona's coaching staff can do a much better job of making life easier on the squad's WR1. They can move him around more pre-snap. They could use more bunch sets. They can employ switch releases. Each of these things will create space instead of constantly asking him to win his matchup.

"For the Cardinals to finally reach their potential and make the postseason, Harrison must be better all around, likely through a combination of his own individual improvement and how he's utilized."

The coaching staff will have a major factor on Harrison's growth in his second season, and if the Cardinals can put him in positions where he can be more successful, the offense should perform at a higher level in the upcoming year.

Harrison and the rest of his Cardinals teammates will get to work as the team undergoes OTA's this week.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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