Getty Wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. ran track with DJ Moore in high school.
Fans of the Chicago Bears are dreaming of a wide receivers room that includes top draft prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. and veteran DJ Moore.
As it happens, the two wideouts have a past connection.
The Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver, who has yet to declare for the 2024 NFL draft, and Moore both hail from Philadelphia. After Chicago handed the Atlanta Falcons a 37-17 defeat Week 17, Moore was asked if he had been watching much film on Harrison, and he revealed the two had been teammates once before.
“I grew up with Marvin Harrison. We ran on the same track team,” Moore said. “Whatever we do (in the upcoming draft), we get him, it’ll be all love. We don’t and we go a different route, I mean, what can I do about it?”
For his part, Harrison has been “liking” a good deal of posts about Moore and Fields on social media. Posts such as this one:
DJ Moore this season:
🐻 88.6 PFF Grade (career high)
🐻 1,300 receiving yards (career high)
🐻 9 TDs (career high)
Everything Will Come Down to Bears QB Decision
The Bears have already sewn up the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Whether they draft a quarterback or trade down will determine whether they land Harrison.
Current Bears starting QB Justin Fields and Harrison have an Ohio State connection, as Fields was a Buckeye for two years (2019-2020). Fields has been playing well as his 2023 campaign has progressed, but Chicago could end up trading him if the team believes a QB in the draft has more potential. It’s all up in the air with one game remaining on the regular season schedule.
There’s a reason many members of Bears Nation want a pairing of Harrison and Moore for Fields, however.
This is why you don’t move on from Justin Fields.
Caleb Williams isn’t getting out of this.
Marvin Harrison Jr. & DJ Moore Pairing Would Give Bears Scary WR Combination
Harrison will likely declare for the draft, as he neglected to play in Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl appearance against Missouri on December 29.
“You’ll almost never see a consensus draft board with a player at a non-premium position ranked at the top — especially when there are franchise quarterbacks and offensive tackles involved,” The Athletic’s Austin Mock and Diante Lee wrote on December 18. “Marvin Harrison Jr. is as close to a Madden-created player as there is at his position, though, and he’s the most talented overall prospect entering the NFL in 2024.”
Harrison, 21, was named the Big Ten’s 2023 Offensive Player of the Year after catching 67 passes for 1,211 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns. As a sophomore last season, Harrison finished with 77 catches for 1,263 yards (16.4 yards per catch) and 14 TDs.
DJ Moore said he grew up with Marvin Harrison Jr (Both from Philly). They ran track together.
Adding in MHJ is friends with Justin Fields, both being Ohio State boys
As if being the best WR prospect of this generation wasn’t enough, Ryan Poles PLEASE DRAFT MHJ
The son of former Indianapolis Colts Hall of Fame wide receiver Marvin Harrison, the young wideout has arguably shown more range and promise than his father did at that age.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Harrison Jr. has size, speed and route-running skills for days. He also brings it in big games.
In Ohio State’s rivalry game against Michigan this year, he caught five passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. Against Penn State’s top-5 ranked defense, he hauled in 11 passes for 162 yards and a score.
Adding Harrison opposite Moore would essentially give Chicago two WR1s while also giving nearly every defensive coordinator in the NFL conniptions.
The Bears also had the first overall pick last year, but the intrigue surrounding what they’ll do in the 2024 draft is already way beyond what that was. Buckle up, Bears fans. It’s gonna be quite the offseason.