Everyone associated with the New York Jets knows that Malachi Corley needs a strong training camp to remain a part of the team’s future plans.
Once the apple of the eye of the organization’s top brass, the Western Kentucky product rarely saw the field in his rookie campaign. The former regime talked about Corley being behind in select parts of his game.
Corley quickly moved from a high-upside third-round pick to someone who may not even make the roster in a year.
The Jets shouldn’t give up on Corley just yet, though.
The Jets have a Malachi Corley issue
Throughout offseason workouts, Malachi Corley has been dealing with an undisclosed injury. That has been a significant issue for the Jets’ coaching staff because they know it means Corley must play catch-up during camp.
That doesn’t mean they won’t have a plan to get him on the field.
“There’s a plan for him, and we’re going to make sure that we try to utilize him to what he can do best, and we’ve seen that in college,” head coach Aaron Glenn told the media during offseason workouts. “Hopefully, he gets well soon, and we get a chance to utilize his skill set.”
Once nicknamed the “YAC King” for his role in college, Corley has always been known as a dangerous weapon when the ball is in his hands. It also means there can be a collection of plays that New York can use to get him the ball throughout a game.
Jet sweeps, screens, and the occasional reverses are just some of the obvious ways to get Corley on the field.
The second-year pro has to earn that time, though. Coming out of college, Corley was always seen as a raw prospect with his route-running and catching inconsistencies.
A specific skill set like that should not have drastically changed over a year.
But part of what made offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand such a strong name for the Jets role was his ability to scheme open individual plays for the talent at his disposal. Garrett Wilson will obviously be the focus of New York’s offense.
But scheming to open up other individuals will be just as crucial for the Jets’ offense.
It’s why Jets fans shouldn’t give up hope on Corley just yet. The offense they are set to run can allow plenty of individuals to see the field at a time.
Then, it’ll be up to Malachi Corley to prove he belongs at the NFL level.
