COLUMBUS, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 16: Malachi Corley #11 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Fire: Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky

April 19, 2024 | William Yanish | Articles

Reading Time: 3 minutes

First Round Mock’s William Yanish puts a first round grade on Western Kentucky (WKU) wide receiver (WR) Malachi Corley.

MOBILE, AL – JANUARY 31: National wide receiver Malachi Corley of Western Kentucky (81) during the National team practice for the Reese’s Senior Bowl on January 31, 2024 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

I was asked about my opinion of Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley a while back and never got around to answering.

It is never too late in draft season.

Wide receiver has become one of the most sought-after pieces on offense in the last few years.

Scoring is exciting so rules are changed and the number of games has increased. That way, records can be broken more often as well.

With that out of my system, let’s get into this one.

Background

Corley checks in at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds.

His specialty is yards after the catch (YAC).

Any college team running an Air-Raid-style offense will have good offensive production. The Hilltoppers run an offensive system that is said to be based heavily on ‘Air-Raid principles’. The Air-Raid in essence is a simple and easy-to-operate offense that produces big numbers and as we can see that has held true for Corley.

Corley’s stats for the past two seasons:

2022:

101 receptions
1,295 yards
11 touchdowns

2023:

79 receptions
984 yards
11 touchdowns

These are some great numbers. However, this is different. This prospect is special despite the offense he played in.

The Yanish Report

Thick built athlete. Low center of gravity. He’s like a running back after the catch. Truck-stick like tackle-breaking. Soft hands. Can high-point balls. Crisp-ish routes. Excellent hands. Quarterbacks (QB) best friend. Runs low to the ground. Needs to clean up contested catch rates. Gadget play extraordinaire. Takes advantage of mismatches and space on the field. Could sharpen ball skills. Chunk plays plus. BULLY. Pure athlete. Leads by example.

For the win

In a draft like this, Corley is highly likely to be drafted by one of the high-octane offenses that we’ve been seeing in the playoffs. The Niners already have a similar player in WR Deebo Samuel (That is not a comparison). Maybe though two is better than one out in San Franciso?

Perhaps a prospect like this goes to an offense and helps a younger QB (maybe even a rookie). Having someone like this who excels at yards after the catch is a premium in today’s game.

This is one of the easiest evaluations that I have ever done. Corley is a legitimate game-changer.

There’s not much more to say.

My BIG three questions

1. How will he fare against NFL-caliber competition compared to what he faced at Western Kentucky?

2. How high is his ceiling?

3. In a deep 2024 WR class will he go in the first round?

My 2024 NFL Draft Value: First-Round

2022 Game film evidence Memphis (Jersey No. 11)

Troy

Florida Atlantic

South Alabama

2023 Game film evidence Memphis (Jersey No. 11)

Troy

Liberty

Middle Tennessee

William Yanish III is a lifelong football fan. He’s from the little town of Crawford, Colorado. Along the way, he’s lived in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and Brookings, Oregon. Quarterback Joe Montana was his idol growing up. A little bit of CTE from life’s adventures killed his dreams as a football player. Now, he is an aspiring writer and Draft Analyst at FirstRoundMock.com. He’s a fanatic with a dream, which is coming true.