Highly-regarded New York Jets rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley may not see the field in the team’s 2024 NFL season opener on Monday Night Football.
Corley has been talked about for months since getting selected by the Jets at No. 65 overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After racking up 984 receiving yards and 11 REC touchdowns in 2023 for Western Kentucky, he joined the Jets’ fold and was immediately taken under Jets superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ wing as the two lodged and trained together at the tail end of the spring.
Jets may not feature rookie WR Malachi Corley in Week 1 vs. 49ers
According to Justin Fried of The Jets Press, despite getting invaluable camaraderie building and mentorship from Rodgers, the Jets already have their mind set on which wide receivers will suit up against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 on Sept. 8:
“If Corley is active in Week 1, his role will likely be little more than a gadget receiver who plays a few snaps. That’s pretty much it. But again, that’s not even a guarantee,” Fried wrote.
“The Jets are going to dress five other wide receivers in Week 1, the aforementioned [Garrett] Wilson, [Mike] Williams, [Xavier] Gipson, and [Allen] Lazard plus special-teams ace Irv Charles. The team rarely dressed six wide receivers in 2023, so it’s very possible Corley is the odd man out.”
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Corley’s fundamentals are holding him back from achieving preseason projections
The 5-11 pass catcher has concerned New York with his route-running abilities. This could be the biggest hindrance that has kept him from earning the confidence of Jets head coach Robert Saleh this offseason. Further, the Jets’ crowded receiver room will all be battling for touches behind their clear-cut WR1 in Wilson.
Originally looked at as a player who would emerge as the Jets’ WR3 right out of the gates, the Florida native will now likely have his work cut out for him to carve out a role in the slot on the upcoming campaign.
Add to that the fact that the 49ers limited teams to a 30.6 percent first down percentage in the air in 2023 — a marker which only five defenses did better in league-wide — despite allowing the third-most completions (410), and what is had is a situation that is not conducive for a first-year talent to immediately step into, especially with worries about his fundamentals mounting and a depth chart with capable veteran contributors waiting in the woodwork.
