Marvin Harrison Jr. Will Be This Season's Puka Nacua

Certain as Snoop Dogg will serve as a special correspondent for NBC and Peacock during the Paris Summer Games (yeah, word), we’ve all seen the Spider-Man pointing meme.

Rumor has it an updated, unmasked version is in the works, to be unveiled Sept. 15 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Under one Spidey get-up: second-year Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. Behind the other: Arizona Cardinals rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. in his home opener.

After leading rookies in receptions (105, ninth overall in the NFL) and receiving yards (1,486, fourth in the NFL), Nacua appears primed for a resounding encore in 2024. Fans looking for the league's next breakout star at the position, however, need not shift their focus from the NFC West and a name synonymous with greatness at the position.

Only three receivers have collected at least seven 100-yard receiving games in their debut seasons. Nacua joined Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Ja’Marr Chase (2022), thanks largely to his speed and skill set, of course. A training-camp hamstring injury to Cooper Kupp arguably accelerated his ascendance, too, as an early rapport with quarterback Matthew Stafford only grew after Kupp missed the first four games.

Harrison Jr. begins his career a bit differently.

The Cardinals and their fans knew he’d be quarterback Kyler Murray’s top target from the moment Arizona drafted Harrison Jr. No. 4 overall in April.

The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, who shined for 13 seasons for the Indianapolis Colts, Harrison Jr. knows a thing or six about meeting expectations.

In three seasons at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. had 155 receptions for 2,613 yards and 31 touchdowns. He earned the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top wideout in 2023, finishing with 67 receptions for 1,211 yards and 14 TDs.

And all that with the Buckeyes’ uncertainty under center.

Draft scouts lionized the 6-foot-3, 209-pound Harrison Jr. with a diverse array of plaudits. They hailed him for his speed, awareness, route running, hands, and flexibility, among other attributes.

Those are great places to start for a WR1, naturally.

Matching Harrison Jr.’s skills with those of a seemingly re-energized Murray will be a prominent focus for the Cardinals in the preseason.

Murray was limited to eight games last season as he recovered from a torn ACL in his right knee suffered in Week 14 of 2022.

Since throwing for at least 3,722 yards and 20 scores in each of his first three seasons, Murray has played in just 19 games over the past two campaigns, throwing for 24 TDs. Along with reestablishing his mobility, Murray knows he must reclaim the groove in his deep passing game, especially with Harrison Jr. now in tow.

His longest gain through the air over the past two seasons went for 48 yards. That compares to 88, 80, and 77 yards in 2019–2021, respectively.

Harrison Jr. has a consistent ability to get open, even when defenses are keying on him. He’ll need to adjust to the speed and physicality of the NFL, as all rookies do, but excelling with expectations during a college career fraught with them is an encouraging early sign.

Second-year player Michael Wilson and veteran Zay Jones appear to be the leading candidates for Arizona’s No. 2 receiver.

Look for Harrison Jr. to learn from them while exceeding their output.

Skill plus a penchant for handling hype points to instant impact.