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Maserati Marv Comes To The Desert, And First-Round Aftermath

The Cardinals got the guy. Marvin Harrison Jr. is the new wide receiver, and you could practically hear the cheers from the draft party on the other side of the Valley from the facility in Tempe.

It was the expected pick yet still satisfying. Fills the wide receiver need? Check. Gets the Cardinals arguably the best player in the draft? Check. Makes the fans happy. Definitely a check. The way the draft played out and the way Monti Ossenfort talked afterward, it doesn't sound like a trade ever was really possible. Quarterbacks fell to the teams that wanted them. (Although Falcons, wow.) Still, does it matter? This one worked out perfect.

-- The pick of Darius Robinson at 27 could have gone some other ways, but anyone acting like it was a shock doesn't make sense to me. Robinson was mocked to the Cardinals by a few people, so it wasn't out of left field. This team wants to have stellar offensive and defensive lines. They clearly had him rated higher than, for example, defensive lineman Jer'Zhan Newton or cornerbacks like Cooper DeJean and Kool-Aid McKinstry. So you make the pick.

-- That said, the Cardinals are picking third (right now) on Friday night, so one of those guys will still be on the board. Still out there as well: defensive lineman Braden Fiske, cornerback Ennis Rakestraw and offensive linemen Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier.

-- BUT ... "We still have some players we really like up on the board, and what I would say is, I think our options are going to be plentiful for teams that are interesting in coming up to us too," Ossenfort said. So yes, the Cardinals might trade down from 35. We'll see if they do, and how far. The Cardinals have six picks in 2025. I wouldn't be surprised if that is in the back of Ossenfort's mind too.

-- The Cardinals, besides pick 35, have three in the third round on Friday: 66, 71 and 90.

-- One enterprising fan at the draft party on the Great Lawn actually asked linebacker BJ Ojulari -- who was on hand signing autographs -- if he'd be willing to surrender the No. 18 so Harrison would be able to wear his college number. Not surprisingly, Ojulari said no. That number is special to Ojulari. It's given to the player who most epitomizes a player at LSU, where Ojulari played, and it is meaningful for him to keep it.

Meanwhile, Harrison Jr. cannot wear No. 88 -- the number his father wore during his Hall of Fame career with the Colts -- because it is retired for J.V. Cain, the tight end who died on the practice field for the Cardinals. What makes some sense is the No. 81, the reverse of 18 (although right now it is held by tight end Travis Vokolek.) It was fitting that Kyler Murray was wearing a No. 81 Anquan Boldin jersey in the video he posted of him reacting to the Harrison pick in real time.

-- Even when Harrison picks a number, you won't be able to buy his jersey. Not yet. Harrison Jr. reportedly has yet to sign his NFLPA licensing agreement, which, among other things, means that his jersey will not yet be available for purchase. Keep that in mind if you happen to be seeking such a thing.

-- Since 2016, an Ohio State product has won either offensive or defensive rookie of the year six times. So what about it, MHJ?

-- Coach Jonathan Gannon was limited in his comments Thursday night, not surprisingly. He isn't a fan of giving specifics about how either Harrison or Robinson might be used, nor does he want to crown them as starters when they haven't even been on the field one time.

But you can tell how much he likes them because, as he likes to say, they pay the price of admission.

"They are not worried about the future, they're not worried about jersey numbers," Gannon said. "They are worried about, 'When do I get the playbook,' and 'I want to do anything I can to get caught up as quick as I can to help the team win.' That's what I mean by all-business. There is no laughy-taffy, goofy, hey, this and that. They are all ball."

That's all for tonight. With press conferences and (right now) four picks, it's gonna be a long day and night tomorrow.

JL2_5443 Harrison in 2024 draft pit with Cardinals fans
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