It has long been widely assumed that Ohio State star Marvin Harrison Jr. will be the first wide receiver off the board in next month’s NFL Draft. Harrison, the son of Colts legend Marvin Harrison, is the latest first-rounder to come out of the OSU receiver factory, and he posted receiving lines of 77 catches for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns, then 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns during his two years as a starter.
With prototypical size (6-foot-3, 202 pounds), family pedigree and production to match, it’s easy to see why he’s been considered a slam dunk. But recent reports suggest that it’s at least possible that LSU star Malik Nabers could go ahead of him.
Top draft analysts for NFL Media (Daniel Jeremiah) and The Athletic (Dane Brugler) said on Monday that some teams have Nabers ahead of Harrison on their boards. And Nabers, like Harrison, has been a wildly productive college player. He followed up a 72-catch, 1,017-yard, three-touchdown season with 89 catches for 1,569 yards and 14 scores this past year. He was listed by LSU at 6-1, 188 pounds, and his game-breaking speed is something that other receivers in the draft can’t quite match — even if they have good speed themselves.
Still, Harrison is considered the heavy favorite to be the first receiver drafted — not just by analysts and draftniks, but Las Vegas as well. Caesars Sportsbook has him as a -1200 favorite, which implies that there’s approximately a 92% chance he’s the first one off the board. Nabers is second at +800, giving him around an 11% chance of being taken first. (The percentages don’t add up to 100 because sports books like to make money, folks.)
A lot can obviously change between now and late April, including which teams are picking where. But it’s going to be an interesting thing to watch, especially in the wake of reports that could suggest a shakeup at the top of what is considered to be a fantastic receiver class.
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