Ty Law says Patriots should use their No. 3 pick on this top prospect

"He’s gonna help whatever quarterback you have. I promise you that."

Marvin Harrison Jr. might be the best player available for the Patriots at No. 3 in the 2024 NFL Draft. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

By Conor Ryan

January 9, 2024

2 minutes to read

The Patriots have a lot of work to do when it comes to solving a woeful offense that averaged a league-worst 13.9 points per game in 2023.

But after finishing this season with a 4-13 record, New England has an opportunity to shore up at least one positional grouping on that side of the ball thanks to a blue-chip prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.

The Patriots hold the No. 3 pick in the draft, which will commence on April 25, 2024.

Of course, the best path toward a fruitful rebuild in Foxborough lies in landing a franchise quarterback this offseason.

But with two promising signal callers in USC’s Caleb Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye projected to go with the first two picks this spring, New England might have to potentially reach at No. 3 for a QB like LSU’s Jayden Daniels — or pivot to another prospect with that coveted first-round pick.

But Patriots legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ty Law thinks New England should still be in a position to select a game-changing talent at No. 3 in Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

“If he’s still there, I’m getting Marvin Harrison Jr.,” Law said on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Tuesday morning. “Everybody says quarterback. I’m telling you, you might be able to go out there and find a Dak Prescott [selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.]

“I’m gonna leave Tom Brady off the table because that’s a unicorn, (pick) 199, but if you go out there and get a serviceable quarterback that won’t turn the ball over and you get Marvin Harrison Jr., he’s gonna help whatever quarterback you have. I promise you that. That’s one of those picks that would be hard to pass up.”

While New England could be setting itself up for failure by searching in the latter rounds for QB help, it’s tough to ignore Harrison Jr.’s potential as a franchise fixture on offense.

The son of Colts great and Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, Harrison Jr. might be the safest pick among the top tier of prospects in the 2024 draft class thanks to his pass-catching ability, pro-ready frame and speed.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver torched defenses throughout his time with the Buckeyes — reeling in 144 catches for 2,474 yards and 29 touchdowns in his last two seasons.

The Athletic’s NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler noted earlier this year that Harrison Jr. is “arguably the best receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson.”

Even if New England opted for a veteran stopgap at QB or searched in the second round for another signal-caller, the presence of Harrison Jr. would a shot in the arm for a Patriots’ offense severely lacking in big-play capabilities over the last few seasons.