Malachi Corley, WR Western Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Corley was a two-star cornerback/wide receiver recruit from Campbellsville High School in Campbellsville, Ky. in the class of 2020
Western Kentucky slot receiver Malachi Corley plays in an unconventional offense but has the physical tools and explosive playmaking ability to warrant a third round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Malachi Corley, WR Western Kentucky: 2024 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fourth-year junior slot receiver from Orange City, Fla.
Background: Corley was a two-star cornerback/wide receiver recruit from Campbellsville High School in Campbellsville, Ky. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 3,092 recruit according to 247Sports (two-star) and No. 2,759 for On3.com (three-star). Corley was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and didn’t receive a rating or grade out of 100 from ESPN. According to MaxPreps, he amassed 37 receptions for 756 receiving yards and five touchdowns and carried the ball 67 times for 404 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games across his sophomore and senior seasons. Corley is credited with 73 tackles and four interceptions as a high school sophomore. MaxPreps also credits Corley with averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.3 steals across 30 basketball games as a senior.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2022 First Team All-Conference USA
Pros: Special teams experience on the kick and punt return units, only seven drops in 2021 and 2022 combined despite more than 230 targets, well-proportioned frame with decent arm length, quick off the line, instant acceleration, speed to take the top off defenses, overtakes corners in off-man coverage, fast feet, excellent footwork, executes sudden and sharp cuts at full speed, high level agility, excellent job selling double moves, loves the out-and-up route, varies route speed, generates separation with speed and cuts, absolute weapon with the ball in his hands, home run waiting to happen, speed to breakaway and finish big plays, angle eraser, sets up and uses his blockers well, good contact balance for a slot receiver, lowers his shoulder to pick up extra yards, many instances of punishing defenders who try to tackle him, defensive backs regret trying to tackle him high, steps out of arm tackles
Cons: Very limited experience playing outside receiver, competition level, looks lighter than his listed weight, he’s dynamic but not twitchy, doesn’t play in a pro-style offense, dozens of manufactured touches that lead to easy YAC, most of his catches come behind the line of scrimmage, some bobbles and body catches, downfield ball tracking can improve, downfield route tree needs development, rarely faced press coverage because of where he lined up, schemed free releases
Overview: Corley is a slot dominant receiver who also plays on the kick and punt return units. He occasionally lines up in the backfield to take handoffs, pitches, or screens. Corley also handles reverses and frequently ends up with the ball in his hands at the end of trick plays. He has a well-proportioned frame with decent arm length. The fourth-year junior instantly accelerates off the line of scrimmage. He has the speed to take the top off defenses and overtake corners in off-man coverage. Corley’s fast feet and elite agility allow him to execute sudden and sharp cuts at full speed, but he falls just short of being truly twitchy. He varies his route speed as part of his way of selling double moves. The All-Conference USA selection generates separation with speed and sharp cuts. He is an absolute weapon with the ball in his hands. Corley possesses the agility, burst, contact balance, speed, and vision to turn short plays into massive gains. His breakaway speed allows him to finish home run plays, and his acceleration and burst erase angles. Corley uses his blocks well. He has impressive contact balance and lowers his shoulder to pick up extra yards. Corley punishes defenders who try to tackle him. He steps out of arm tackles and bounces off high tackle attempts. The Florida native only dropped seven passes in 2021 and 2022 combined despite getting more than 230 targets, but most of his catches come behind the line of scrimmage. Western Kentucky’s offense doesn’t employ many pro-style concepts, so Corley will face a learning curve in the NFL. He has very limited experience playing outside receiver and was manufactured dozens of free releases, touches, and YAC opportunities against inconsistent competition. Corley’s downfield route tree and ball skills on intermediate to deep routes need to improve. He rarely faced press coverage. A lot of projecting goes into Corley’s profile, but he has the athletic traits to make analysts optimistic about his projection to the NFL.
Overall, Corley is a high-level athlete and an elite creator with the ball in his hands, but Western Kentucky’s scheme hasn’t maximized his technical development. His production is significantly inflated because of the high volume of schemed touches he receives. Fortunately, Corley has all of the traits to develop into a starting receiver in the NFL, but he will be a multi-year project.
Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver (Y) and gadget player in a spread-heavy offense
Round Projection: Early Third Round
Size: 5'11", 210 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 06-02-23