Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley in Pittsburgh on Tuesday

Over the past three seasons, there have only been a handful of guys at the position that have been more productive. With over 250 catches for nearly 3,000 yards and 29 touchdown grabs, his resume on paper is really impressive. Corley’s unique play style and physical profile has drawn comparisons to another former Senior Bowl standout: current San Francisco 49ers playmaker Deebo Samuel.  As we all know, Samuel is a true unicorn at the position but there are certainly some similarities between the two players, most notably their indistinguishable builds.

Corley’s dense frame shows up in the play strength department, with him showcasing the ability to consistently fall forward or maintain balance upon contact with potential tacklers. Corley is built like a running back with plus vision for the position who shows a good understanding of reading blocks and angles in space. After the catch, there is very little wasted motion in his transition from receiver to runner. He can make guys miss or just straight run through you instead.

683 of Corley’s yards came after the catch, fifth-most in the NCAA and while there’s important context to note here with his average depth of target being just 5.5 yards, it’s hard to fault WKU for their utilization of him. In 2022, he forced a whopping 40 missed tackles according to PFF. It’s easy to see why the Steelers would be looking for a player like this after their receivers finished 24^th in yards after the catch last season. Pittsburgh has been searching for more production in the slot for years now. Due to a combination of issues with the scheme, quarterback play and a revolving door from a personnel perspective, Corley could be a solution in the short and long term.