Malachi Corley NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for New York Jets WR

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 215

HAND: 9⅛"

ARM: 32⅛"

WINGSPAN: 75½"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.47

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

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POSITIVES

— Thick, running back-like frame.

— Great strength and balance as a ball-carrier. Will fight for extra yards in underneath area.

— Above-average long speed with the ball in his hands. Enough juice to separate with a runway.

— Very good hands and catch radius. Calmly locates and snags throws outside his frame.

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NEGATIVES

— Poor footwork and hand usage as a route-runner. Lacks detail.

— Below-average spatial awareness as a route-runner. Too often runs into contact or traffic.

— Limited route tree and usage at this stage. Hardly asked to do anything but screens, flat routes and crossers.

— Explosiveness is closer to average than game-changing, even though his play style depends on it.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 79 REC, 984 YDS (12.5 AVG), 11 TD

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NOTES

— Born Mar. 21, 2002

— 2-star CB recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— Played both WR and CB in high school; transitioned fully to WR in college

— 32 career starts

— 2022 and 2023 first-team All-C-USA

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OVERALL

Malachi Corley is a ball player more than he is a wide receiver.

Corley's frame says it all. At 5'11" and 210 pounds, he sports a short, thick build that makes him look more like a running back than anything else.

That's exactly how Corley plays, too. He's at his best with the ball in his hands.

Corley 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 has enough long speed to break away as well. He isn't the type to completely ruin pursuit angles or anything, but he can separate and rip off explosive plays with a runway.

Corley's hands are his best trait as a pass-catcher. Though he isn't a ball-winner in the air, Corley does an awesome job tracking the ball and can reliably catch passes outside of his frame. He has very natural hands.

With all of that being said, Corley has little finesse and detail as a route-runner right now. He doesn't mix up his releases, and he seldom uses his hands effectively throughout his routes. Additionally, Corley doesn't have quick feet or great spatial awareness, which often means he runs himself into contact and struggles to separate once he does.

In turn, 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.

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GRADE: 7.1 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 74

POSITION RANK: WR14

PRO COMPARISON: Budget Golden Tate

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

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