Joe Douglas' final draft swing might become Darren Mougey's first roster cut

The more things change in Florham Park, the more the ghosts of past New York Jets mistakes seem to linger, and that is becoming more apparent as we approach Week 1.

New general manager Darren Mougey will have some decisions on his hands, as several notable names sit firmly on the Jets’ roster bubble. And according to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, one of them is a player the team selected on Day 2 of the NFL Draft just 15 months ago, Malachi Corley.

Malachi Corley’s NY Jets career might be coming to an end

Across his final two seasons at Western Kentucky, Corley totaled 2,279 yards and two touchdowns and looked primed to make an impact at the NFL level. He was even nicknamed “YAC King” for his ability to turn short throws into big plays.

Gang Green traded up to select the 23-year-old with the first pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. And the two-time first-team All-Conference wideout was deemed a perfect fit for Nathaniel Hackett’s scheme and had immense support from the coaching staff.

On paper, Corley was supposed to be the ideal complement to Garrett Wilson and the newly signed Mike Williams as a dynamic slot receiver, but that never came to fruition.

Despite moving up seven spots to draft him, his role never materialized the way many had anticipated. In nine games as a rookie, Corley recorded just three receptions for 16 yards and was best known for dropping the ball before crossing the goal line on what would have been his first-career touchdown on Halloween night.

That play was the perfect encapsulation of how Corley’s career has fared to date — a flash of potential undone by a costly rookie mistake.

In Cimini’s most recent 53-man roster prediction, the second-year pass-catcher was a notable omission alongside veteran defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi.

It’s clear to see where the Cimini is coming from, as Corley was a Joe Douglas draft pick, and Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn were not in the war room that brought him in. A supposedly rough outing at training camp has not helped his case.

But rostering Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson, and Tyler Johnson over him? That’s telling. Lazard is a pure Rodgers guy who hasn’t done much to earn his contract, Gipson isn’t much more than a special teamer, and Johnson is now on his fourth team and has scored four touchdowns in five NFL seasons.

The Jets selected Arian Smith in the fourth round of the 2025 Draft in hopes of rectifying their Corley mistake, one that it seems like the Jets are already admitting defeat on.

For a first-year GM, every single move is made to signal a new direction. It’s why Corley’s position is so precarious, and why he is so polarizing among the fanbase. But he’s only 23, and it should take more than six targets to send him packing.

And if he can’t beat out that group, it might not just be the end of his tenure in green and white, but his NFL career altogether.

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