Arizona Cardinals select WR Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4, edge rusher Darius Robinson at No. 27

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort played riverboat gambler in his first draft last season, wheeling and dealing picks during the first round at a dizzying pace.

This time around, he didn't need to get fancy.

The Cardinals selected receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, hoping the Ohio State star can be the team's leading playmaker for quarterback Kyler Murray.

“Kyler’s awesome,” Harrison said. “You look at his record from high school and he’s always won, and that’s the kind of guy I want to play with. He’s just so dynamic of a quarterback and I just want to go in there and make his job easier.”

The Cardinals also took Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson with the No. 27 overall pick. The 6-foot-5, 296-pounder had 8 1/2 sacks in his final college season with the Tigers and was named first-team All-Southeastern Conference.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Harrison has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald, who was arguably the greatest player in the team's history after amassing more than 17,000 yards receiving over 17 seasons before retiring in 2020.

Ossenfort said he received multiple text messages from an excited Murray following the Harrison pick.

“With Marvin, it's maturity, accountability and dependability,” the GM said. “He checks all those boxes. He's been around football his whole life, and we're really excited about the way he approaches his job.”

Harrison has an impressive bloodline. He's the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, though considerably bigger than his dad, possessing a rare combination of size, speed and athleticism. He caught 67 passes for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in his final season with the Buckeyes.

The receiver said having a dad who knew about the NFL made the draft process much easier.

“I love where my body is right now,” Harrison said. “I love where I'm at going into the season, going into mini-camp, going into training camp."

Arizona was in a prime position to get one of the draft's top non-quarterbacks. The teams with the top three picks all needed QBs, but the Cardinals are set at the position with Murray, who has a $230.5 million, five-year deal that could keep him in Arizona through 2028.

Robinson's selection late in the first round was no surprise considering defensive line was an area of need.

“Versatility,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “We're going to put him everywhere. Violent. Really good in the run and pass game.”

Robinson, who is a Michigan native, was one of the few players remaining in the NFL's green room for draft picks, but said he wasn't worried that he'd fall out of the first round.

“I wasn't antsy, I knew AZ was the one for me since the beginning of this process," Robinson said. "They were one of the first teams that met with me at the combine. One of the first teams that met with me at the Senior Bowl.”

It was the first two picks of a vital draft for the Cardinals, who have nine more picks over the next three days. Arizona's had a 4-13 record in each of the past two seasons.

Ossenfort chose to use the No. 4 pick instead of trading down for potentially more selections.

It was a different strategy from his first season with the club, when the Cardinals started with the No. 3 overall selection but made multiple trades on draft night before settling on the No. 6 pick, which was used to select offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr.

Johnson — who also played at Ohio State — started all 17 games at right tackle last season. Harrison said the two have texted back and forth over the past few months, excited about the possibility of playing together.

Harrison should also have an immediate impact, especially considering the Cardinals lack of elite receivers. Tight end Trey McBride had a breakout season in 2023 with 825 yards receiving and three touchdowns. Michael Wilson also had an encouraging rookie season with 565 yards receiving.

But the No. 1 receiver spot is up for grabs and the Cardinals certainly hope Harrison can seize it.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson poses with fans after being chosen by the Arizona Cardinals with the 27th overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Missouri edge rusher Darius Robinson poses on the red carpet ahead of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Missouri edge rusher Darius Robinson poses on the red carpet ahead of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson walks on stage during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

FILE - Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson (6) plays against Arkansas during an NCAA college football game Nov. 24, 2023, in Fayetteville, Ark. The Arizona Cardinals selected Robinson in the NFL draft Thursday, April 25. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, FIle)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. celebrates with fans after being chosen by the Arizona Cardinals with the fourth overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Arizona Cardinals with the fourth overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. walks on stage before the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. poses on the red carpet ahead of the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. poses with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Arizona Cardinals with the fourth overall pick during the first round of the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — As Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine’s east, where the situation on the front line is worsening and the Kremlin claimed its troops took control of a village they had been targeting.

Ukraine’s air force said Sunday that Russia had launched 24 Shahed drones, of which 23 had been shot down by air defenses.

Six people, including a child, were wounded in a drone strike in the eastern Kharkiv region, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said.

Fires broke out when debris from drones that were shot down fell on buildings in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. No casualties were reported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced Sunday that its troops had taken control of the village of Ocheretyne, which has been in the crosshairs of Russian forces in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine. Drone footage obtained by The Associated press showed the village battered by fighting. Not a single person is seen in the footage obtained late Friday, and no building in Ocheretyne appears to have been left untouched by the fighting.

Officials in Kyiv urged residents to follow Orthodox Easter services online due to safety concerns. Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city administration, warned that “even on such bright days of celebration, we can expect evil deeds from the aggressor.”

In his Easter address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Ukrainians to be “united in one common prayer.”

In a video filmed in front of Kyiv’s Saint Sophia Cathedral, wearing a traditional Vyshyvanka embroidered shirt, Zelenskyy said that God “has a chevron with the Ukrainian flag on his shoulder.” With “such an ally,” Zelenskyy said, “life will definitely win over death.”

A majority of Ukrainians identify as Orthodox Christians, though the church is divided. Many belong to the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine. The rival Ukrainian Orthodox Church was loyal to the patriarch in Moscow until splitting from Russia after the 2022 invasion and is viewed with suspicion by many Ukrainians.

In Moscow, worshippers including President Vladimir Putin packed Moscow’s landmark Christ the Savior Cathedral late Saturday for a nighttime Easter service led by Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church and an outspoken supporter of the Kremlin.

Eastern Orthodox Christians usually celebrate Easter later than Catholic and Protestant churches, because they use a different method of calculating the date for the holy day that marks Christ’s resurrection.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Priest Ivan, chaplain of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army, leads a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Priest Ivan, blesses Ukrainian servicemen of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, during a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service Donetsk region, Ukraine, early Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Priest Ivan blesses Ukrainian servicemen of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, during a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, early Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Priest Ivan, chaplain of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army, lights candles during a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Priest Ivan, chaplain of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade of the Ukrainian army, leads a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Food are gathered to be blessed during a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service at the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade compound, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, early Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

An Ukrainian serviceman of the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, lights candles during a Christian Orthodox Easter religious service, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)