Malachi Corley’s Jets tenure is perfectly summed up by one embarrassing stat

When thinking of the biggest draft busts in recent New York Jets history, Malachi Corley is one of the first to come to mind. Despite being in dire need of wide receiver help, the Jets moved on from him after one season for a plethora of reasons.

For starters, SNY’s Connor Hughes recently reported that Corley’s "entitlement" and “maturity” helped him alienate himself from the team out of the gate, and it was easy for the new regime to cut ties with a player like that. Then there’s the on-field production, where he recorded just three catches for 16 yards.

The worst part of this is that the 23-year-old was a player whom Joe Douglas had rated as the WR4 in the 2024 NFL Draft, ahead of guys like Brian Thomas Jr. and Ladd McConkey.

The most embarrassing part of the entire Corley saga is that he finishes his Jets career with the same number of jersey numbers (3) as catches. He opened his career wearing No. 17, changed to 14 after Davante Adams arrived, and then switched to No. 6 this offseason.

Entitlement was the downfall of Malachi Corley's Jets tenure

As a rookie, the Western Kentucky product reportedly refused to suit up on special teams because he thought of himself as a starting-caliber wideout, yet nobody else agreed.

Talk about trying to speedrun the “torpedo your NFL career” challenge. Compared to other rookies, who are chomping at the bit to take advantage of any opportunity to see the field, the Florida native saw himself above earning his stripes.

Things got so bad that undrafted players like Quentin Skinner, Brandon Smith, and Jamal Pritchett were among the receivers who leapfrogged him on the depth chart.

As WR9 or WR10 on the depth chart, there was never a real chance he’d make the roster or the practice squad because a weak summer saw him running with the third-team offense in the preseason.

Additionally, when the Jets acquired Adams last season, the six-time Pro Bowler offered Corley $20,000 for his No. 17 jersey. He reportedly countered by requesting $120,000. The Jets eventually had to step in and essentially force Corley to give up his jersey number.

It’s no wonder two coaching staffs didn’t hesitate to move on from him because, despite his untapped potential, he simply isn’t an NFL-caliber player. And with all of the headaches he provides, Corley certainly doesn’t conduct himself like one.

Gang Green has swung and missed on Day 2 wideouts before, but rarely like this. Both Devin Smith and Denzel Mims were selected with higher draft capital than Corley, yet each at least showed some semblance of promise at the NFL level.

Corley has received another lifeline via a practice squad contract with the Cleveland Browns, but the CFL and UFL seem likely to be in his future, given that the only thing he changed in New York was his jersey number.

For more NY Jets news and analysis: