Panthers Urged to Acquire Disgruntled First-Round Pick as Injuries Pile Up

Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Panthers actually makes some sense.

by Bryce Lazenby

Sep 30, 2026

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) alongside quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Washington Commanders in the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have been ravaged by injuries already this season.

In Week 3, the team saw Mike Jackson, Jaycee Horn, Jalen Coker, and Damien Lewis all get banged up. That’s not even counting Devin Lloyd, Nick Scott, and Xavier Legette, who missed the Week 3 matchup.

The receiver injuries are especially concerning. Jalen Coker, Tetairoa McMillan, and Xavier Legette are the team’s top options, but now Coker and Legette are banged up. As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team poke around for another receiver.

There’s one young receiver who’s been rumored to be unhappy for a while now, and in theory, he seems like a perfect fit in Carolina.

Panthers Urged to Add Marvin Harrison Jr.

Marvin Harrison Jr. came into the league with insanely high expectations.

For one, Harrison was a first-round pick from Ohio State. However, he also had added expectations due to his father being one of the best receivers in NFL history.

Unfortunately, Harrison has not yet come close to living up to those expectations. So far, in 2026, Harrison has just four catches for 73 yards and no touchdowns in three games. The receiver just doesn’t get the targets a first-round pick would expect, and he’s rumored to be unhappy.

Preston Palm of Panthers OnSI thinks Harrison could rejuvenate his career with the Panthers. The Panthers need depth, and Harrison needs a fresh start.

“Harrison is still young and talented, so just a draft pick alone likely won’t be enough for him,” Palm explained. “Carolina happens to have a receiver who, while not as highly touted as Harrison, is in a similar situation as far as not meeting first round expectations.”

Palm then suggest a third-round pick and Legette going to the Cardinals for Harrison.

“Arizona gets a young receiver back, along with draft compensation, while Carolina takes a chance on a player who was once known as a “can’t miss” prospect. Carolina’s offense has been explosive and has leaned on the pass game thus far, Harrison could benefit from that and flourish,” Palm added.

Harrison has shown flashes but never been quite what he was expected to be. The receiver caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie, but his production took a steep dip in 2025, and seems set for another dip in 2026.

A trio of Coker, McMillan, and Harrison would be one of the most exciting pass-catcher trios in the league.