Nobody outbid the Houston Texans for receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Whether that’s a win for the Texans remains to be seen.
The Texans landed Harrison, the disappointing receiver from the Arizona Cardinals. It was reported on Saturday that the Cardinals were finalizing details on a trade for Harrison, but no team was announced. No team made a better offer to the Cardinals at the last minute, so Harrison and a 2027 seventh-round pick go to Houston for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick according to multiple reports including ESPN.
It gives Harrison a second chance. And Arizona recoups some value after a draft whiff on Harrison.
Cardinals get a second rounder
The Cardinals didn’t get a first-round pick back for Harrison, but that was unrealistic. Harrison hasn’t played well enough to get that kind of return.
It’s a little surprising they even got a second-rounder for Harrison considering how he has looked in the NFL. In 33 games, Harrison had 1,578 yards and 14 touchdowns. That’s not terrible but also nowhere near what was expected from him when the Cardinals made him the fourth pick in a stacked 2024 NFL Draft.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded from the Arizona Cardinals to the Houston Texans. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Christian Petersen via Getty Images)
A new regime clearly was done with Harrison. They prioritized Michael Wilson as the No. 1 receiver. Harrison had one catch through the first two games of the season. His routes lacked any explosion or separation, either because he was disinterested or his athleticism coming into the NFL was overrated. Either way, the Cardinals decided quickly into the season they were done with him.
It’s a miserable draft miss by a team that has missed a lot of high picks. There should be some credit for getting a second-round pick and late-round pick swap back from a Houston team that is 1-4 and could have a high pick. But It’s hard to be too excited for a team that threw in the towel on the fourth overall pick after 33 unproductive games.
Grade: B-
Texans pay up for Marvin Harrison Jr.
It’s also hard to be that excited for a team getting Harrison, who has done very little in his NFL career.
Harrison’s production isn’t even worthy of a second-round pick, at least to this point. He averaged 47.8 yards per game with the Cardinals and had plenty of no shows. He has two 100-yard games in two-plus seasons. Michael Wilson looked way better in the offense.
The Texans paid up for Harrison’s prospect pedigree, plain and simple.
That could work out. Harrison was considered an elite prospect. Houston must believe that it can get more out of Harrison than what Arizona did. If the Texans can get Harrison back to his college level, the trade will be a big win for them. We’ll see. The Texans also need receiver depth. Nico Collins doesn’t have much behind him, and Collins has missed a lot of time with injuries. Houston doesn’t think its season is done at 1-4, and Harrison is also a play for the future.
Houston believes in Harrison, and maybe that’s fair. It’s hard to judge any player after 33 games. But his NFL tape hasn’t been impressive and if all the Texans are getting is the same version of Harrison that we saw in Arizona, it is not worth a second-round pick. At this point, it’s blind faith that we’ll see the Harrison that starred at Ohio State. And it’s not like he was cheap for Houston.
Grade: C-