Marvin Harrison Jr.: I 'Trained to Play Football' Instead of Doing Pre-Draft Workouts

Ohio State star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is pegged as one of the top players in Thursday's NFL draft, but he made a head-scratching decision not to participate in the scouting combine or the Buckeyes' pro day.

While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Harrison explained the reasons behind his decision, saying he and his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, believed his best course would be to focus on getting ready for the 2024 NFL campaign.

"Just talking to my dad, we decided what's best for us: to prepare for the NFL season, not prepare for the combine or pro day or anything like that," Harrison Jr. said. "So, take our time to do our due diligence. Also resting after the season, getting your body right. I'm training to play football, so that's what we've got to do at the end of the day. So we trained to play football instead."

The 21-year-old was a unanimous All-American in each of the last two seasons and finished his junior year at Ohio State with 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns on his way to earning the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in the nation.

Despite not participating in pre-draft workouts, Harrison's draft stock has not taken a hit. B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked him as the No. 1 overall player in the latest draft big board and predicted that he would land with the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 4 pick in the latest mock draft.

Only time will tell if Harrison's decision to sit out the majority of the pre-draft process was the right one, but it's expected that he will follow in his father's footsteps and have a fruitful career in the NFL.