With the No. 65 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Jets selected wide receiver Malachi Corley out of Western Kentucky.
By the Numbers
- Height: 5-foot-10
- Weight: 215 pounds
- 40-Yard Dash: DNP
- Vertical: DNP
- Broad Jump: DNP
- 2023 Stats (12 games): 79 catches for 984 yards (12.5 average) with 11 touchdowns.
Prospect Overview
NFL.com: Corley is a big, physical wideout who has been asked to carry a heavy workload for Western Kentucky using his talent after the catch. Corley’s highlight reel will be full of broken tackles and general carnage left in his wake. He’s an average route-runner with the tools to improve, but a disappointing drop rate and contested-catch rate are concerns relative to the way he plays the game in space. Like Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel when they were prospects, Corley has had a heavy percentage of his targets schemed around him and he will need to prove he can become more than just a quick-game bully or gadget guy. He’s good at what his team asked him to do, which is a great jump-off point for evaluators considering him as a Day 2 selection and future starter.
Bleacher Report: Corley is a ball player more than he is a wide receiver... is quick to transition himself into a runner, and he plays with decent burst, albeit mildly underwhelming for someone whose play style depends on it. He plays with a ton of strength and balance as well, which is where you really see his running back-like frame show up... Corley's usage is extremely limited at this stage. He was only really used on screens, shallow crossers, flat routes and end-arounds in college.
Corley has a role as an underneath outlet in the NFL. His bulky frame, reliable hands and hard-nosed yards-after-the-catch ability give him clear use cases, even if limited. However, Corley may struggle to find an every-down role in the NFL.
Connor's Take
The Jets made multiple attempts to trade up into the second round to draft Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley. They weren't successful. With Corley still on the board as the third round began, the Jets wasted no time moving up to the first selection to grab him.
There were people inside the Jets organization who had Corley ranked as the fourth-best receiver in the class behind Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison and Rome Odunze. He'll work primarily in the slot. He is elite with the ball in his hands. Corley calls himself the "YAC King." He caught 180 passes for 2,279 yards and 22 touchdowns the last two years. He will push for playing time as a rookie. The Jets wanted to add explosiveness on offense. They did so with this pick.
An NFL offensive coordinator said Corley has a Deebo Samuel ceiling. He treats every play like it's his last. Elite separation. Called him a "Bull in a china shop." Said goal has to be to get him the ball. Do that and good things happen.
NFL Comparison
NFL.com: Deebo Samuel