Chicago Bears fans almost universally agree that Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a dreamlike pick with the No. 9 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Pairing Harrison Jr. with quarterback Caleb Williams would catapult a new era of exciting offense in Chicago. The general expectation has been that Harrison Jr. will be the first receiver drafted, giving the Bears a no-shot opportunity to watch him slide to No. 9. A new report by The Athletic counters that belief, however.
Bruce Feldman spoke with several anonymous scouts and receiver coaches around the league. The general consensus from Feldman's 12-plus sources is that Malik Nabers, not Harrison Jr., is the No. 1 receiver on aplenty big boards.
After the combine, @BruceFeldmanCFB thought the two closest players to "locks" were Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 23, 2024
Most assume Harrison Jr. would be the No. 1 guy on everyone’s wide receivers board.
But apparently, that is not the case. At all.
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"Harrison’s not No. 1 to me,” said a veteran NFL receivers coach, whose team is in the market for another top receiver," according to Feldman's article. “(LSU’s Malik) Nabers is the No. 1 on my list and I think he is on a lot of people’s lists. He’s just different to me. I don’t think it’s anything toward Marvin, it’s just really that Nabers is that good."
The general consensus throughout the article is that Nabers could be drafted ahead of Harrison Jr. The first team potentially in the market to draft a receiver is the Arizona Cardinals at No. 4. If Arizona opts for Nabers instead of Harrison Jr., the Bears' chances of drafting Harrison Jr. increase.