Breaking: Jacksonville Are Closing In On Deal To Sign $14.5 Million WR And Return Specialist….

Gus and John return to the JaguarReport Podcast to catch up on all the latest news since their last recording.

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John and I caught up on recent news since we last recorded in late March. We broke down Josh Allen’s contract extension with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Stefon Diggs’ trade to the division rival Houston Texans, and our favorite prospects in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.

I also outlined why an offensive lineman may be the pick for Jacksonville in the first round. Cornerback is certainly the bigger roster need and more likely scenario, and moving the pick for a wide receiver (either an incoming rookie like Rome Odunze or an available veteran like Brandon Aiyuk) is technically possible. But I think there’s a good chance that the best player available at 17th overall will be an offensive lineman — and it wouldn’t shock me to see the Jaguars go that route before selecting a corner on Day 2.

Heading into the 2024 season, it’s safe to say that the Jaguars wide receiver group still sits among the middle of the pack. Despite losing Calvin Ridley, the addition of Gabe Davis alleviates the immediate need for an outside receiver. Christian Kirk and Zay Jones have proven to be solid weapons, but they battled injuries throughout most of the season.

In recent years, several young wide receivers (Jamarr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown) have become All-Pro’s before reaching the end of their rookie contract. This draft, the Jaguars can capitalize on another loaded wide receiver class rather than breaking the bank in free agency.

If only Al Davis were here to see this. Using a first-round pick on the draft’s fastest player is nearly a guaranteed recipe for disaster. But after three All-Big 12 seasons at Texas, Worthy proved that he should be viewed as more than just a gadget player.

If you don’t know by now, Worthy broke the NFL Combine’s 40 yard dash record with a time of 4.21 seconds. As a true freshman, he broke several school records, including freshman receiving touchdowns in a season (12) and receiving yards (981). He was named the Big-12 Offensive Freshman of The Year and earned Freshman All-American honors. In his final season at Texas, he hauled in 75 passes for 1014 yards.

Worthy’s most impressive characteristic isn’t just his speed, it’s his ability to tame it. What separates Worthy from most speedsters is his savvy route-running. Defensive backs are immediately threatened by his speed, which often causes them to flip their hips and bail on the route early. The former Longhorn leaves defenders with little time to recover by efficiently getting out of his breaks in three to four steps. Although his slight frame tempts defenders to lunge at him in press coverage, he utilizes a variety of release techniques (split, diamond, slide) that make it difficult to get a hand on him.

His flexibility allows him to be laterally explosive, which effectively complements his record-breaking straight-line speed. His speed also sticks out while running slants, outs and double-moves. In the off-season, he works out with Delfonte Diamond, a self-proclaimed “route-running specialist”. Diamond also trains players like Ceedee Lamb, Stefon Diggs, Jaylen Waddle, and the Jaguars own Parker Washington.

Players that run in the 4.2-4.3 range tend to have a limited catch radius, usually relying on deep balls and screen passes. However, Worthy’s ability to track the ball in the air while adjusting his body proves that he can be a valuable asset from any part of the field. His impressive coordination helps him make tough catches in traffic, despite being undersized (5 foot 11, 170 pounds).

Occasionally, Worthy struggles with concentration as a pass-catcher. Instead of following the football with his eyes until he makes the catch, Worthy can get overly-excited and take off running before properly securing the ball. Although he rarely struggled while using his hands to catch a pass, he is most comfortable as a “body-catcher”. In college, he gained enough separation to effectively square up and corral the ball into his chest/stomach. At the professional level, he will not have as much room to work with.

Malachi Corley (Western Kentucky)
During his time at Western Kentucky, Malachi Corley was the heart and soul of their football program. He left the program as their career leader in receptions (259) and second all-time in receiving touchdowns (29). He’s acknowledged that he would have been a hot commodity in the transfer portal, but he preferred to show loyalty toward the program that recruited him when others wouldn’t.

As the focal point of Western Kentucky’s offense, Corley was targeted often and usually immediately. His team’s offensive strategy was to get the ball in his hands as quickly as possible. This was executed through a variety of screens, hitches and jet sweeps. While Corley had the chance to show off his dynamic playmaking ability, his route tree was limited. With that being said, his tendency to create separation during 1 on 1 competition at the Senior Bowl showed that he is comfortable with a variety of concepts outside of the most basic ones.

Corley lined up in the slot 67% of the time, and was tight to the formation 12% of the time. At 5 foot 11 and 215 pounds, his stocky frame helps him hang on to passes in traffic after being hit by linebackers and safeties. As a slot receiver, the former Hilltopper was also asked to run a lot of seam/bender routes into the middle of the field. These are some of the toughest catches to make, but Corley pulls them off effortlessly. If a pass is thrown behind him, Corley does a solid job at adjusting and flipping his hips without having to fall to the ground.

The 2-time First Team All Conference-USA selection turns into a running back with the ball in his hands. He is incredibly efficient as a ball-carrier, knowing when to lower his shoulder, make a cut or simply take off up-field at the right time.