State of the Steelers: 2024 Prospect Preview, Week 1
If you know anything about the NFL, then you know that draft season is 365 days a year, especially for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while this is the last weekend without Steelers football until next year, it's the start of college football across the nation. That means we're going to kick off our prospect preview […]
If you know anything about the NFL, then you know that draft season is 365 days a year, especially for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
And while this is the last weekend without Steelers football until next year, it's the start of college football across the nation.
That means we're going to kick off our prospect preview series with a special talent at WR from Western Kentucky:
Malachi Corley, WR, WKU
With 101 catches for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns, Corley had the most dynamic receiving season by a sophomore in WKU Football history. Corley was also among the nation's elite receivers for the year, ranking fourth in the nation in receiving yards and seventh in receiving touchdowns. His 101 catches were also the fourth-most in college football. Corley was also the best receiver in the country with the ball in his hands, ranking first in the nation in yards after catch with 975 and first in the country in missed tackles forced with 40. – WKU Sports
What makes Corely so unique is not only his versatility, but the fact that he turns into a running back with the ball in his hands, something Western Kentucky recognized early in his career:
Corley is not a burner and struggles to separate at times, but his physicality and usage is reminiscent of San Francisco 49ers star WR Deebo Samuel. They both play with a low center of gravity and while they look more like running backs than receivers, they have tremendous hands in contested catch situations, as evidenced above.
Currently situated at 85 on the 2024 consensus board, we are far too early in the process to predict draft positioning, but Corely is generating first-round buzz and could be one of the first WRs off the board in April, adding a terrific third option out of the slot to pair with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens.
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Featured image via: © Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
