Last season, per Sports Info Solutions, the San Francisco 49ers had an Offensive EPA of 0.18 when receiver Deebo Samuel was on the field, and 0.01 when he wasn’t. Samuel has become perhaps the NFL’s most important do-it-all receiver, and as the NFL is a copycat league, it makes sense that other NFL teams might be looking for their own versions in the draft.
That could be where Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley comes in. Last season for the Hilltoppers, Corley lined up 17% of the time outside, 67% in the slot, 12% tight to the formation, and 4% in the backfield. He ran everything from simple screens to go balls, and he wound up with 79 catches on 115 targets for 985 yards and 11 touchdowns. Eight catches and 15 targets were on passes of 20 or more air yards for 261 yards and four touchdowns, and he ran the ball four times for 11 yards and two touchdowns.
Corley has some things to refine in his game, especially as he goes to a league where the strength of competition will be far more formidable, but when he’s termed a “Deebo Jr.,” the tape shows why. I’ll be fascinated to see how his NFL team will deploy him.
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