New York Jets Reportedly Preferred Different WR Than Malachi Corley

Some more post-draft information was revealed about the New York Jets that suggests they were hoping to land a different wide receiver than Malachi Corley.
The Jets practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park on Tuesday
The Jets practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park on Tuesday / Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com
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The New York Jets left Detroit after the NFL draft finished feeling good about what they accomplished.

They got an offensive tackle of their future, added an offensive weapon on the perimeter, boosted their running back room, and took a chance on a low-risk quarterback.

Based on some of the glaring needs they had, they addressed many of those concerns.

Every year after the draft takes place, information starts to come out about the approach and processes of different teams centered around what they actually wanted to do and the players they really wanted to select.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated has peeled back the curtain a bit on what the Jets were weighing in their war room, and it seems like their third round selection, Malachi Corley, wasn't their preferred target.

"And once [Olu] Fashanu was aboard, their attention turned to receiver. Similarly, that call came down to a few guys. The Jets actually liked Texas's Adonai Mitchell, but got focused on the best run-after-catch guys they could find in range of their second pick at 72," he wrote.

What's interesting is that it was already known New York had an eye for Rome Odunze and likely would have taken him with their 10th pick if he was available.

He didn't fall in the draft, but Adonai Mitchell did.

After being routinely mocked as a first round pick, the 6-foot-2 playmaker didn't hear his name called during Round 1 and had to wait the following day to get drafted.

Unfortunately for the Jets, their next selection wasn't until the third round.

Mitchell eventually was taken in the bottom half of Round 2 by the Indianapolis Colts with the 52nd overall pick.

"And that's where Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley and Michigan's Roman Wilson came into focus, with Corley getting the edge because, where both were wired the right way and competed, he was 30 pounds heavier and, accordingly, played with more violence," Breer added.


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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai