With training camp set to start next month for the NFL, there are plenty of players to pay close attention to when they finally take the field, many of whom should be on the Patriots' radar for a future trade. Among those that are most intriguing is Cardinals' receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who many New England fans hoped would be drafted by the team in 2024.
Because they had long needed a dominant No. 1 receiver, Harrison would have been the perfect addition to an offense that had been struggling, if it weren't for the fact that the Patriots also needed their next franchise quarterback.
That inevitably led them to use their first-round pick on Drake Maye, and there are certainly no regrets about that. But they might have another chance to add Harrison Jr. to the team, especially since things aren't going as well as planned in Arizona.
Despite being considered the top wide receiver of the 2024 class, the 23-year-old hasn't exactly thrived since joining the NFL. It's difficult to pinpoint why that is, but it doesn't feel far-fetched to think it's because he landed on a chaotic team.
If he continues to struggle the rest of the offseason and into 2026, there's a good reason for the Patriots to inquire about a trade sooner rather than later, even after acquiring AJ Brown.
The Patriots should have their eye on their next young wide receiver star this summer
Obviously, having a player like Brown on the offense now immediately elevates the Patriots' offense to a level we haven't seen since before the 2020s began. He is the WR1 Drake Maye has not been afforded in his first two seasons, so now that he has him, his future looks even brighter.
The problem is that Brown will be 29 before the season starts, and lingering concerns remain about his previous knee injuries and how they might impact his overall performance in New England.
Although he has shut down those worries, his performance on game day will really tell the story. And at the same time, it doesn't negate the Patriots' need for a young, explosive receiver to work with Maye over the long term.
That's where a player like Harrison Jr. makes a lot of sense, and if his career continues to flounder in Arizona, there's good reason to believe that they will not extend him at the end of the 2026 season nor pick up his fifth-year option, and that could lead them to trade him before this year's deadline.
The Patriots should be all over that, as he could be the weapon that sticks with Maye for longer than the projected tenure of Brown.
Even if he isn't traded and instead becomes a free agent in 2027, Eliot Wolf should seriously consider what he could add to the offense, and what pairing him with Brown could look like. That's almost a dream scenario for any quarterback, and Harrison would really round out their receiving corps in the best way possible.
No matter when he becomes available, the Patriots have every reason to inquire early and often, so keeping a close eye on Harrison's training camp this year will be crucial.
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