Rookie Profile: Malachi Corley, Wide Receiver, New York Jets
Welcome to the Rookie Profile: Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky’s top wide receiver in 2023. Corley attended Campbellsville High School, playing both ways as a wide receiver and cornerback. Although he was originally recruited by Western Kentucky to play corner, he was transitioned to wide receiver full-time almost immediately.
Corley thrived in WKU’s offense, ultimately named to the first-team All-Conference USA in both his sophomore and junior seasons. His high level of production for 3 years after a redshirt season makes him an interesting NFL prospect, and one that teams are already monitoring closely.
The comps to Deebo Samuel have persisted, given his style of play is reminiscent of the All-Pro. Corley isn’t afraid of contact and often punishes defenders when catching screens or on end-around. At the Senior Bowl, the comps continued and his stock is already on the rise.
Measurables
Draft Capital & Landing Spot
Draft Capital- Round 3 Pick 1
- Corley was a surprise pick this early, going ahead of fellow 3rd rounders Jermaine Burton, Roman Wilson, Jalen McMillan, and Luke McCaffrey. Add to this that the Jets traded up to get their guy, and there’s a chance he produces from day one.
- After signing Mike Williams in free agency, the Jets still decided to sink Day 2 draft capital into Corley. We can only assume Corley becomes what Aaron Rodgers hoped his best friend, late-career Randall Cobb, could.
Landing Spot- New York Jets
- The Jets have an elite, outside/inside threat in Garrett Wilson and a boundary, deep threat in Williams. Adding Corley allows the offense to stretch itself horizontally, making him the ideal weapon in package situations.
- The Jets have great RBs, but Corley could still line up in the backfield some. And although we expect Tyler Conklin to be involved, Corley may take touches from him, Breece Hall, and the rest of New York’s pieces in short order.
Team Depth Chart
Expected Role: Slot Receiver/Offensive Weapon
Depth Chart via Fantasy Pros
Fantasy Impact
Malachi Corley is a do-it-all weapon in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field. College Football’s YAC king is set to replicate his usage in New York as a screen and crossing-route maven. Although it’s unlikely he sees the same success he saw in college right away, Corley has the opportunity to grow into his role alongside Wilson while earning targets from a future Hall of Famer in Rodgers.
Corley is probably only viable in PPR leagues. But, the good news is he will be a late-round dart throw in redraft operating in a high-powered offense. And with Rodgers aging, he should see more targets than Mike Williams since he’ll run his route closer to the line of scrimmage. In Dynasty, I’ll take a shot on him in the early third round.
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe Sneak Peek Video of Malachi Corley.
Check out our 2024 Rookie Rankings Page for a full breakdown of this rookie class.
