“Where’s the Competitive Nature?”: Former WR Blasts Marvin Harrison Jr. for Not Showing Competitive Spirit & Opting Out of Pro Day

Is it possible that Marvin Harrison Jr. is not doing himself any favors by opting out of the Pro Day? This year, many players have shocked some traditionalists by opting out of working out at the Combine or at their Pro Days. Harrison opted out of both. This had former wide receiver James Jones flabbergasted about the Buckeyes WR’s choices.

James Jones, co-host of “The Speak,” made his opinions clear on “The Herd” regarding Marvin Harrison Jr.’s decision to skip workouts. Jones, known for his straightforward approach highlighted the importance of showcasing skills to scouts and keeping the competitive spirit alive.

 

During the show, Jones brought up LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers who had an extraordinary performance at his Pro Day. Jones emphasized that if he was in Harrison’s place, he would have seized every opportunity to demonstrate his skills and do everything to surpass Malik Nabers and show the scouts who the better wide receiver was,

“It’s a lot of dudes that have your talent if not better talent that still did the Pro Day to show the scouts that what y’all see on film? That ain’t nothing. Watch when y’all see me out here at my pro day. And I’m cool with you not working out at the Combine but for me where’s the competitive nature?…Even if my Pro Day has passed or my Pro Day is coming up, like I’m going to show these dudes that Malik Nabers ain’t got nothing on me. That’s just the competitor in me. I don’t like these dudes nowadays just going ‘I’m not doing nothing!’“

He also referenced former legendary WR Calvin Johnson who’s known for playing nine exceptional seasons for the Detroit Lions. Despite Johnson’s popularity and impressive stats during his college football days at Georgia Tech, he still participated in his pro day to prove himself to scouts, ultimately getting drafted as the 2nd overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

James Jones highlighted the missing competitiveness in today’s players and complained about the trend of some athletes choosing not to participate in such crucial events, despite being talented. He argued that despite scouts highly regarding Harrison Jr., displaying his competitive edge could have set him apart from other talented prospects.

Is Marvin Harrison Jr. the Top WR Prospect?

Despite missing out on major workouts at the Combine and his pro day, NFL teams are still pursuing Marvin Harrison Jr. Furthermore, many sports analysts still favor him as the first wide receiver to be drafted in the 2024 NFL draft.

Recently, NFL analysts Dan Orlovsky and Mina Kimes joined the debate on whether Malik Nabers or Marvin Harrison Jr. should be drafted first as a wide receiver. They both favored Harrison Jr.’s potential over Malik Nabers.

Orlovsky explained how impressive Harrison Jr.’s last season with the Buckeyes was despite the team facing challenges with quarterback quality. Moreover, he compared his style to that of CeeDee Lamb and Julio Jones stating his ability to excel as a true receiver for any NFL team.

Mina Kimes highlighting his versatility described him as “quarterback proof,” and regarded him as being capable of strengthening any team’s offense. Moreover, she also praised Harrison Jr.’s catch radius, body radius, and his ability to outsmart defensive backs and become the focal point of an offense.

In the past two seasons, Harrison Jr. has been really steady, getting over 1200 yards and 14 touchdowns each year. Even though he had different quarterbacks throwing to him, CJ Stroud in 2022 and Kyle McCord in 2023, his numbers stayed strong. It’s pretty remarkable that he could keep up such impressive stats, making him stand out as one of the top rookies getting ready for the NFL draft.