Jets rookie WR Malachi Corley is used to waiting for his turn.
Corley didn't register a catch until the seventh of nine games his freshman year at Western Kentucky. This season for the Jets, the third-round pick took 3 snaps (2 on offense, 1 on special teams) over the first three games, was active but did not play in Week 4 and was inactive Weeks 5-7.
"Kind of reminds me my story at Western Kentucky," Corley said. "My first year there, I didn't get many opportunities, which is pretty similar to my story here. I've really just been taking everything with a grain of salt, learning that it's God's plan ultimately.
"If I have to sit behind guys and wait my turn, it's probably for a good reason. Just because I'm a young, talented person coming to the league doesn't mean I know all the ins and outs of how to play football. Sitting behind guys who are in different points of their career who are great players has given me the opportunity to really learn and grow."
Corley, who has been learning from fellow receivers like Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams since he joined the Jets last month, has been focusing on becoming a complete route runner — as 75.7% of his catches in his final season for the Hilltoppers came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
"Watching G [Wilson], the way he sets guys up and gets guys going full speed all the time, the way Tae [Adams] is good on the release and intermediate phases, it's route craft," Corley said. "Being around guys like that, you can only help but be a product of your environment. They've really just elevated my game."
After a slow start at Western Kentucky, Corley blossomed into the "YAC King." His 259 receptions are a school record, he led CUSA in receiving yards and was named first-team All-CUSA in the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Over the last two weeks for the Green & White, Corley has taken 28 snaps on offense, 14 more than the first 7 games combined. His numbers are modest in that span -- 2 catches, 12 yards -- but he believes his catch at Arizona in Week 10 is an indication of his improvement. With Wilson, whose 69 receptions rank No. 3 in the NFL, and Adams, whose chemistry with QB Aaron Rodgers is unparalleled, on the field, Rodgers turned to Corley on a slant route to convert on third-and-2 at the end of the first quarter against the Cardinals.
"It just says that Aaron has some confidence in me and hopefully with an increased role, he'll continue to grow that confidence in me," Corley said. "With reps on the field, practice and walk-through, I feel like we might be starting to get on the same page. I can be an asset to him out there on the field, maybe get him out of some situations. Be an underneath guy, checkdowns whatever he may need. I told him whatever he needs from me, whether it's blocking, whether he needs me to widen out my splits, tighten down, whatever it may be, I got it for you."
Over the final 6 games of his rookie season, Corley hopes to show his physical brand of football — he averaged 9.2 yards after the catch and forced 55 missed tackles over his final two seasons at WKU.
"It's not for jokes, not for hype or anything like that," he said. "That's really how I envision myself as a player. I didn't self-proclaim that. People gave that tag to me, so when I get my opportunities to catch the ball and make plays, everyone would get to see that this is the exact same guy we saw at West Kentucky. Just hasn't come to fruition yet."
