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Robert Saleh came to the Jets from San Francisco, home of one of the NFL’s top swiss army knives, a player the Jets coach admires a great deal.
And it looks like the Jets got a poor man’s version of one of the NFL’s best Swiss arm knives in the third round with Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley.
“I think there’s no one that I modeled my game after, but there’s someone that plays similar to me in the form of Deebo Samuel, who’s an extremely physical player after the catch, who lines up in the backfield just as I do, and is an extremely versatile guy who can line up on the outside, running back in the slot and can make plays,” Corley said.
Aaron Rodgers texted people from the Jets to tell them how excited he is to add a weapon like this, which Corley found quite flattering.
“Oh my God, it’s unbelievable,” Corley said.
Aside from being a versatile, tough-as-boot leather offensive weapon, Corley also has high character.
Not that players who transfer for NIL money are bad people. Not at all. In many cases you understand it.
But Corley, was offered $400,000 by a major program after the 2022 season to transfer, and he wouldn’t do it, due to his loyalty to the Hilltoppers.
In a society where so many people are driven by money for a kid to do that is pretty unusual.
“You don’t have to uproot your school or leave where your loyalty and your ties are,” Corley said.
There is something to be said for that kind of loyalty. That is the kind of guy you want in a foxhole with you.
Similar to Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo. who was offered big bucks to leave the Rockets, but wouldn’t do it.
Joe Douglas is a very reserved guy who doesn’t show a lot of emotion in press conferences, but he was downright giddy in his presser, talking about Corley, who he traded up for in the third round.
“Malachi is the guy that you watch his tape and it’s hard not to get excited,” Douglas said.
“Just an explosive, dynamic player with the ball in his hands and just a guy that we feel it can be a real weapon.
“He plays with violence and anger and you can you can do a lot of different things with him, the way he catches the ball, the way the way he attacks defenders after the catch, it’s just a good fit for the style we want to play.”
There is a lot of like about this pick. The only concern might be that with his style of play, it could be a challenge to stay healthy on the NFL, because like Samuel, he really takes it to defenders, and seldom runs out of bounds, and he’s not a huge guy. Samuel is a great player, but he’s always hurt.
So due to Corley’s hellbent playing style, it might be best to keep him on a pitch count, which won’t be hard, considering all the weapons the Jets have.
April 26, 2024
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