Malachi Corley already fighting an uphill battle after brutal start to camp

New York Jets wide receiver Malachi Corley enters his sophomore NFL season with an opportunity at a fresh start. The Western Kentucky product is fresh off a disastrous rookie campaign but will have a golden opportunity this summer to prove his worth to a new coaching staff.

Unfortunately, Corley probably couldn’t have drawn up a worse start to Year 2. The second-year wide receiver returned to the field Wednesday for the Jets’ first training camp practice of 2025, and it didn’t take long for his struggles to resurface.

Corley dropped a pass from undrafted rookie quarterback Brady Cook during 11-on-11s, then reportedly failed to separate on a deep ball from Tyrod Taylor. He failed to register a single catch on the day.

It’s hard to believe, but the Jets’ top pick on Day 2 just one year ago is already fighting an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. And this isn’t exactly a stacked wide receiver room, either.

This is the same player whom the previous Jets regime arrogantly bragged about post-draft. The infamous "no matter what" text. The trade-up. Heck, the Jets leaked that they had Corley ranked as their WR4 in this class ahead of standout rookies like Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey.

Corley’s climb back into relevance has officially begun. And, unfortunately for him, it’s a steep one.

Malachi Corley might not make the Jets' 53-man roster

Corley’s rookie season was nothing short of a disaster. Despite being the top pick in the third round, Corley finished 2024 with just three catches for 16 yards. He was a healthy scratch for much of the year and couldn’t even carve out a role on special teams, logging just eight snaps there all season.

His most memorable moment came in the Halloween game against the Houston Texans, when he dropped the ball a yard short of the end zone on what should have been his first career touchdown.

Now, just over a year after the Jets traded up to get him, Corley is fighting for one of the final spots in a wide receiver room that's likely one of the thinnest in the NFL.

Garrett Wilson is the unquestioned No. 1, but behind him are veterans like Josh Reynolds and Allen Lazard, free-agent addition Tyler Johnson, fourth-round rookie Arian Smith, return man Xavier Gipson, and UDFA standouts like Jamaal Pritchett.

A fresh start under Aaron Glenn and Tanner Engstrand gives Corley a clean slate, but he’s quickly running out of time to make a good first impression. If he can’t make the 53-man roster in a wide receiver group like this, his NFL future could be in serious doubt.

Corley was the Jets' “no matter what” guy. Now, he’s fighting to matter at all.

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