Marvin Harrison Jr. was never going to end up with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Jags had a good reason to keep an eye on what his trade cost ended up being from the Arizona Cardinals.
They learned it on Sunday evening when ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news of MHJ being dealt to the Houston Texans.
That, of course, makes it even more relevant to the Jaguars. One of their division rivals now has Harrison on their roster.
So those are both things worth breaking down here.
Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Cost Compared to Brian Thomas Jr.
This is what Schefter shared when he broke the news of the Harrison trade to the Texans:
Trade: the Arizona Cardinals have agreed to trade WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and 2027 7th-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2027 2nd-round pick and 2027 6th-round pick, per @rapsheet and me. https://t.co/ziepfRIPr4
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 11, 2026
So essentially, the key component of this deal is a second-round pick, along with a late-round pick swap.
The Jaguars will now know they can seek a second-round pick if they do decide to trade Thomas away at some point.
BTJ and MHJ are quite similar. They were both top-10 picks in 2024, and they haven’t been able to match their standout rookie seasons.
Thomas is probably viewed just below Harrison. There’s a chance the best offer the Jags would get for him would be a third-round pick.
Jacksonville may not be in a rush to trade Thomas, either. He’s just in his third NFL season.
But if they want to, they’ve now got an obvious comparison point.
How Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Impacts AFC South
This is big news in the AFC South Division.
The Jaguars hold the lead after Week 5 at 4-1. They won in London on Sunday to improve to that mark, and the results later in the day put them up handily already in the division.
The Colts have the second-best record at 2-3. They lost Sunday in Pittsburgh to the Steelers.
The Texans are 1-4, but they view themselves as playoff contenders.
The Titans are 0-5 and will soon start looking toward next season.
Harrison gives Houston a reason to believe. It’s already a long way back from three games behind the Jaguars, but he’s a talented player.
MHJ was an obvious candidate for needing a change of scenery, and now he gets it. He’s the No. 4 overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft, and he was a star as a rookie. He regressed in his second season, and he has struggled with drops last year and this year.
Mostly in the early going for the Cardinals, Harrison was a non-factor. Michael Wilson overtook him as the top WR target for Jacoby Brissett.
It’s been a weird saga, and there’s no guarantee Harrison pans out for the Texans. They’re taking a chance, though.
It’ll be especially fascinating when Harrison plays against the Colts, his Hall of Fame father’s former team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. Trade Cost Shows Jaguars Price For Brian Thomas Jr.