Douglas’ Notorious Hubris Leads To Another Jets Draft Trade-Up
There he is. The Joe Douglas I remember showed up at the beginning of Friday’s third round on NFL Draft Day 2.
After a solid start to the event the night before, where the Jets General Manager extracted an extra pick in trading down one slot with Minnesota while still getting his target at No. 11 overall—Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu—New York surrendered a fifth-round pick to move up seven slots to No. 65 overall. With the pick, the Jets tabbed Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley.
Of course, everyone at One Jets Drive was in ecstasy, as if they can guarantee that Corley is destined to live up to the over-the-top comp of Deebo Samuel 2.0.
Because they always know better than everyone else. (Fact check: They don’t.)
The selection of the so-called “YAC King”, for his excellent yards after the catch numbers in college, elicited ridiculous comments from both Douglas and Head Coach Robert Saleh in their post-Draft press conference. Saleh claimed that “If (Corley) had a relative at the goal line, he’s going to run him over too.”
Well, unless such relative was an NFL defensive back. They play bigger and faster in the pros than they did in the mid-major Conference USA. Though I don’t doubt his reported toughness, Corley isn’t exceptionally big (5-foot 11, 215 pounds) or fast (he ran a meh 4.56 40-yard dash at his pro day). As difficult as he was to bring down in college, he could easily be in line for a rude awakening this season.
Last season, half of Corley’s catches were behind the line of scrimmage, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. His route running is suspect and he doesn’t get downfield much (only 7 receptions with over 20 air yards). Though ProFootballFocus.com gave him decent marks for his hands, he had more drops (6) than contested catches (4).
The Hilltoppers pretty much just put the ball in his hands and let him go. Not necessarily a bad plan, but the success of it depends a lot on the blocking, the softness of the opposing defense, and their tackling. It’s the same reason why I was skeptical whether Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, a rumored first-round candidate for New York, would translate to the NFL.
So this idea posited by Doulgas that Corley was the fourth receiver on the Jets’ board—after top 10 selections Marvin Harrison Jr., Malike Nabers, and Rome Odunze—is laughable. Trash that board. Eight other receivers were chosen before Corley—off the top of my head, I’d put Brian Thomas Jr. and Ricky Pearsall on a different stratosphere than Corley.
I’d even argue that Michigan’s Roman Wilson is the better prospect. The Steelers, who know how to draft, got him with the No. 84 overall pick. Watch him shine now. Of course, that means the Jets could have kept No. 72 to use on this faster, more well-rounded receiver. Who knows, maybe Corley would have been there for Douglas at No. 72. No other receiver was taken in the interim slots.
Douglas, though, claimed he had been calling teams throughout Round 2 looking to trade up for Corley. Does he not realize how idiotic this makes the Jets look? He was so afraid the Jets were going to miss out on a player that no other team placed the same value on. In the end, he was downright lucky that teams rejected his earlier offers.
As with any drafted player, I always have to include the disclaimer that no one can state with any assurance whether that player will or won’t pan out. There are so many variables that play an outsized role in that trajectory, with injuries being the most prevalent. Other factors include fit, coaching capability, and opportunity. That’s why some third rounders may excel, but the majority do not.
And it’s why a smart drafter maximizes the dice rolls instead of doubling down on one roll. I get that Douglas thinks he’s done well over the years moving up to get “his guys”, but it sure hasn’t put New York on the football map. The Jets are 20-47, with zero winning seasons and playoff appearances, since he started picking the roster in 2020. The only starters remaining from his first two Drafts are slot cornerback Michael Carter II and perpetually injured guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Just two others (safety Ashtyn Davis and cornerback Brandin Echols) are backups. The Jets have only one projected starter (center Joe Tippmann) for this season from their 2023 Draft haul.
A lack of depth is a big reason why this team falls apart every season. In many cases, the Jets could have selected a player with similar value (Christian Darrisaw versus Vera-Tucker, Kenneth Walker III versus Breece Hall) had they just picked from their original slot and then used the picks they traded to take shots at supplemental contributors for when injuries piled up.
I hope Corley turns out to be the real deal. For this purpose, it doesn’t matter. This is about process. It’s about having some humility through the process. With a few exceptions, Douglas keeps showing Jets fans who he is, and we pay the price with our tears.