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Fear not, New York Jets fans, for if Aaron Rodgers’ body cannot hold up long enough to win the Jets a Super Bowl as their quarterback, then perhaps his mind will and he can do it as their general manager.
According to Rodgers, Jets second-round pick Malachi Corley, who was the 12th overall wide receiver taken, was actually his favorite prospect at the position, clearly signaling that he saw something in Corley that the 31 other teams in the NFL didn’t.
“[Corley] was my favorite wide receiver in the draft,” Rodgers recently told the New York Jets official podcast.
“Now, he might not have been the best on paper in the draft, but I really felt like he was going to fit in with what we’re trying to do — his mindset, his ferocity.”
Corley, 22 years old, spent four seasons playing college football at Western Kentucky, and was named to the All-Conference USA First Team in 2022 and 2023.
During his time at Western Kentucky, Corley racked up 259 catches for 3,033 yards and 29 touchdowns, setting the school record for career receptions.
The 2024 NFL Draft was loaded with talent at the wide receiver position as three pass-catchers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Oduze — were selected in the Top 10 picks.
Another six wideouts — Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, Xavier Legette, Keon Coleman, Ladd McConkey, and Ja’Lynn Polk — were selected between the 23rd and 37th picks before Corley was eventually taken with the 65th overall pick.
Corley will be joining an offense that also features elite NFL weapons such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, meaning he could find himself in wide open quite often this year if the Jets’ offense is successful.