Jets can finally dump draft disappointment if polarizing rookie delivers

This time a year ago, the New York Jets were enamored with Malachi Corley, so much so that then-head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas exchanged that now-infamous “no matter what” text. Days after the draft, the Jets went as far as to make that message public.

The old regime was seen celebrating in the war room like they’d just landed the steal of the draft. Just over a year later, the new regime might already be eyeing an exit strategy.

Corley’s rookie season was a disappointment, largely plagued by an inability to even find his way onto the field. His standing on the current roster is shaky, and now, with rookie Arian Smith impressing during spring practices, the Jets have added some extra young competition to their wide receiver room.

Smith still has plenty to prove and comes with his own series of question marks, but his emergence could be the tipping point in a decision that’s already trending one way. It could spell the end of Corley's brief Jets career.

Arian Smith could push Malachi Corley out of a roster spot

Corley’s rookie season was a disaster in pretty much every possible way. Billed as the “YAC King” coming out of Western Kentucky, Corley was seen as a perfect fit for Aaron Rodgers and a Jets offense desperate for explosive playmakers.

But he struggled to adjust to the pro game. His route tree was limited, and he barely saw the field as a rookie. Corley finished the year with just three catches for 16 yards, a far cry from what many hoped when the team traded up to draft him with the first pick in the third round.

Now, Corley enters Year 2 already behind the eight ball. He missed essentially all of spring practices with an undisclosed injury, costing him all-important reps to impress new offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and head coach Aaron Glenn.

Meanwhile, Smith, a fourth-round pick in this year's draft, is already turning heads. The blazing-fast Georgia product was a controversial selection, with many analysts and fans calling into question his inconsistent hands and overall rawness.

Concerns about his route running and NFL-readiness are absolutely valid, but Smith has reportedly impressed at OTAs, flashing the elite speed that made him a pre-draft riser.

Of course, spring practices are exactly the kind of environment where a burner like Smith would stand out. The real test will come when pads go on later this month.

Still, Smith’s early buzz only adds more pressure on Corley. The Jets' wide receiver room is unsettled behind Garrett Wilson, with veterans Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard competing for the WR2 job.

Corley was once seen as a potentially core piece of the team’s long-term offensive plans. Now, he finds himself battling for a roster spot in one of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the NFL.

Between Smith, Tyler Johnson, Xavier Gipson, and undrafted rookies like Jamaal Pritchett, there are plenty of young options competing for depth roles. If Corley can’t get healthy and is unable to impress the new coaching staff, his time in New York could be nearing an abrupt end.

The Jets once made Corley a draft-day priority. Now, they’re daring someone else to make him expendable.

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