A big smile came to the face of rookie Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley when a reporter asked him about how many wide receivers try to avoid contact.
“That ain’t me,” said Corley, the team’s third-round pick.
No, it is not.
By now, Jets fans have watched Corley’s highlights from Western Kentucky that include play after play of Corley running over defenders.
“I just love football,” Corley said Friday during rookie minicamp. “I think I love football and I love life. I think that part of my calling card is to be a good football player, and I think the Lord has blessed me with some talents and abilities and a confidence that is out of this world. I think every time I get the ball in my hands, I’m just ready to punish somebody every single time I get it. That’s the way I like to play the game.”
The Jets hope that Corley can use that mentality to elevate their offense.
Of all their draft picks, Corley has the clearest path to playing time as a rookie.
Corley played slot receiver in college and figures to be in the mix at that spot.
Coach Robert Saleh said Corley’s physical style was especially impressive in this era of “self-preservation.”
“He never runs out of bounds,” Saleh said. “That extra one or two yards, every yard matters. So many times you’ll see ball carriers, it’s first-and-10 and they get an 8-yard gain and they run out of bounds. It’s second-and-2 and then third-and-1 and then you’re punting versus sticking my foot in the ground, get vertical and now it’s first-and-10 again and you get a new set of downs. That is a huge difference in football.”
Corley and the other rookies were on the field Friday for the first day of rookie minicamp.
The draft picks did not see much action as the Jets try to keep them healthy, but they will soon enough.
They begin OTAs on May 20, and the rookies will be practicing with their veteran teammates.
Corley has already touched base with his new quarterback.
He and Aaron Rodgers have talked and texted. Rodgers has even offered to let Corley stay in his guest house, an offer Corley said he will take the veteran quarterback up on.
The two share an agent, so Rodgers has familiarity with Corley.
“I only talked to him on draft night,” Corley said. “I’ve texted him the last couple of nights. I’m just like a little kid. He’s an adult. He’s the MVP, Hall of Famer, all those types of things. I’m just like a little kid talking to him all the time, texting him, trying to see what he’s done to stay consistent in the league, the things that he’s done to work on his mental health, how he’s kept his body alive so long.
“He said I could stay in his guest house if I want to. So, yeah, me and him are close. That’s going to be my dog while I’m here.”
The Jets could use Corley in a similar fashion to how the 49ers use Deebo Samuel.
Saleh said the coaches are coming up with ways to get the ball in his hands and let him make plays. The player known as the “YAC King” in college still has work to do, though.
“He is raw from a route-running ability standpoint,” Saleh said. “We’re obviously attacking that. Getting him the ball and the creativity that comes with it, I think we’re all having a lot of fun looking at ways to get him the ball. He’s unique in that way. He is a smart kid so he can absorb it. For him, we always talk about these ‘just one things,’ JOT tapes. His one thing is route refinement and just making sure that on third-and-4 when you’ve got to have it, you’ve got to be able to run a route to create separation. Those are the things he’s got to work on.”
Corley said he wants to work on showing the coaches he can play on the outside as well as in the slot and be known as more than just a gadget player.
“I think I’ve hardly scratched the potential of who I am as a player,” Corley said.
