Jets rookie WR can bench press as much as DK Metcalf

Jets rookie WR can bench press as much as DK Metcalf

Jets third-round rookie wide receiver Malachi Corley is getting a lot of NFL comparisons even before he steps on the field for New York.

Some already dubbed him the next Deebo Samuel because of their similarities in frame (Samuel is 6-foot, Corley is 5-11 and they both weigh 215 pounds) and play style. Corley himself called the comparison to Samuel “an honor.”

Corley has something else in common with a different receiver, though: Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf. Corley equaled Metcalf’s 27 bench press rep total during a pre-draft workout. And while he didn’t do it at the NFL Combe, that number would have beaten the top receiver at the combine — new Eagles wideout Ainias Smith — by six reps.

Only four other wide receivers have completed that many reps on the bench press at the NFL Combine. Metcalf, N’Keal Harry, Greg Little, Brooks Foster.

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However, this doesn’t necessarily translate to on-field excellence. Metcalf is great, but the other three receivers — Harry, Little and Foster — haven’t enjoyed successful NFL careers. Harry is deep on the Vikings’ depth chart after stints with the Patriots and Bears, Little played four seasons before being unable to hold onto a roster spot in 2018 and Foster last played in the CFL in 2013.

Metcalf’s blend of size, speed and strength are key attributes of his game in Seattle. He’s 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds and ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine. Metcalf turned that skillset into three 1,000-yard and two 900-yard seasons. He’s also caught 43 touchdowns during his five-year career.

Corley, meanwhile, is under six feet and weighs less than 220 pounds. He also ran his 40 in the 4.45-4.47-second range, per the Jets team website. That’s not a bad thing, though. Corley’s game is all about possessing the ball and gaining yards after the catch. He named himself the “YAC King” after all.

Strength doesn’t automatically mean Corley will excel, either. But it will surely help he’s weaving through defenders in the middle of the field in 2024. All while staying at Aaron Rodgers’ guest house.