NFL draft: ‘YAC King’ receiver compared to Deebo Samuel has Browns visit scheduled

Malachi Corley is a top 50 prospect compared to Deebo Samuel

With the majority of NFL free agency behind us, the NFL draft takes the majority of the spotlight. On Friday, the University of Michigan holds its pro day with a huge swath of NFL personnel expected to be in attendance for a talented and deep group of prospects.

For the Cleveland Browns, the 2024 NFL draft is the final one where their first-round pick was moved to acquire QB Deshaun Watson. That means Browns fans and media are left to wonder who might be available when they finally select.

GM Andrew Berry only has five selections this year which might lead to a trade-down as well.

Despite adding WR Jerry Jeudy, and then extending him, this offseason, many still believe Cleveland could focus on the receiver position in the draft. WR Malachi Corley will be visiting Berea on one of his “top 30” visits:

(Reminder: “Top 30” visits really are just “each team gets 30 visits and can use them anyway they want.)

Lance Zierlein of The NFL Network compares Corley, noted as the YAC King above, to WR Deebo Samuel for his ability to make plays with strength and size. At 5’11” and 215 pounds, Corley is compact like Samuel. His route running is unrefined at this point and he hasn’t been asked to run a full route tree in college.

Despite that, Corley put up over 2,200 yards receiving with 22 touchdowns in his last two years at Western Kentucky. He averaged over 12.5 yards per catch despite getting most of his production from screens and short routes.

Corley is a top 50 player in SB Nation’s rankings but is the 65th-ranked player and 14th-ranked wide receiver on the Consensus Big Board. He is seen as a second or third-round pick by most.

For the Browns, it is important to note that having Corley in for a visit doesn’t mean they are focused on him. It means they want to gather more information on him to either draft this year, have intel for future free agency and/or prepare to face Corley in the future.

What do you think of adding a Deebo Samuel-like receiver with Cleveland’s first pick in the NFL draft?