The Jets’ most glaring weakness in 2023 was, unsurprisingly, quarterback, but they lacked a full stable of receivers, too.
Given a year to learn from their mistakes, New York has operated accordingly in 2024, adding big-bodied veteran Mike Williams and selecting Western Kentucky product Malachi Corley with the first pick of the third round of the 2024 draft.
A pleasant surprise has emerged from Jets OTAs, where the 5-foot-11, 215-pound Corley is proving himself as a physical specimen.
“He’s a brute,” teammate Garrett Wilson said of Corley on Wednesday. “Once he catches that ball he’s got great instinct of where the defense is going to be at and how to make someone miss. Just like I was saying, he can go over the middle, take hits. I’m excited to see him run with the ball once we got pads on because I know I wouldn’t be trying to tackle him. He looks like a problem, a little bowling ball out there. So, I’m excited.”
Corley has carried a comparison to 49ers star Deebo Samuel with him into the NFL, and while they might not be the same player, the physical nature with which each plays seems to be a commonality. That fits what quarterback Aaron Rodgers wanted from his receiving corps as he prepares to embark on his second — and hopefully, first fully healthy — season with the Jets.
“I love who we brought in,” Rodgers said during a recent appearance on The Official Jets Podcast. “Malachi was my favorite receiver in the draft.
“He might not have been the best on paper, but I really felt that he would fit in with what we are trying to do with his mindset and ferocity. So, I enjoyed bringing him in.”
It’s early, but Corley is making a good first impression on his teammates. If he lives up to the new expectations, Rodgers could have a diverse, capable trio of targets at his disposal in 2024, which should go a long way toward building out an offense that too often failed to carry its weight in 2023, leaving too much responsibility on the shoulders of New York’s ferocious defense.
Then, finally, the Jets might reach their potential. And Corley could play a role that proves to be larger than most expected.
