The New York Jets just pulled a Mike Tannenbaum-esque move by releasing wideout Malachi Corley. They chose him with their initial selection in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Given this context, the decision to release Corley is a historic one. He’s now the highest-drafted player from the 2024 class to be released by an NFL team. This transition follows a turbulent rookie season, which left him with few signature moments.
Corley signed with the Jets after the team’s impressive, daring move. The Cowboys moved up seven picks in the draft to get him, taking him 65th overall. The trade involved sending away two draft picks: a fifth-round pick and a third-round pick. Former general manager Joe Douglas was ecstatic about Corley’s potential when they picked him. He was particularly effusive about Corley’s rare skills as a receiver.
Aaron Rodgers, the new Jets veteran quarterback, called Corley out last offseason. He even tagged him as one of the top receivers on the board in the draft. Corley starred in college football at Western Kentucky. His remarkable playmaking skill to create yards after the catch was so extraordinary that it earned him the nickname “YAC King.” Over his college career from 2021 to 2023, he accumulated 2,070 receiving yards, leading all players in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) during that span.
Corley’s path to the NFL hasn’t been an easy one. As a first-year player, he played in nine games and made only three catches for a paltry 16 yards. He was all too often a healthy scratch in five games, leading to concerns about his professional preparedness. He took part in 53 offensive snaps over the preseason, which was fifth-most among the Jets’ receivers. That performance was a bust with just one reception for eight yards.
In addition to his receiving duties, Corley returned four kickoffs for 101 yards— an average of 25.3 yards per return —during the preseason. It’s an impressive feat giving everything that he had to deal with on the first year in the league. These challenges were exacerbated when the regime that originally signed him was ousted last season. This sudden change in management became a reason used for his lack of opportunities and eventual release.
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