CBS Sports draft writer Josh Edwards reports that the San Francisco 49ers will host former Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley on a pre-draft visit in Santa Clara in April.
According to Pro Football Focus, Corley racked up 683 total yards after the catch last season, averaging 8.6 after hauling in passes. In 12 games last season, he registered 79 receptions for 984 yards and 11 touchdowns, per Sports Reference.
The player comparison by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein should intrigue 49ers fans. Corley reminds the draft analyst of Deebo Samuel.
"Corley is a big, physical wideout who has been asked to carry a heavy workload for Western Kentucky using his talent after the catch," Zierlein wrote in the player's draft profile. "Corley's highlight reel will be full of broken tackles and general carnage left in his wake. He's an average route-runner with the tools to improve, but a disappointing drop rate and contested-catch rate are concerns relative to the way he plays the game in space.
"Like Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel when they were prospects, Corley has had a heavy percentage of his targets schemed around him and he will need to prove he can become more than just a quick-game bully or gadget guy. He's good at what his team asked him to do, which is a great jump-off point for evaluators considering him as a Day 2 selection and future starter."
Corley didn't participate in on-field drills during the NFL Scouting Combine. The receiver is listed at 5-11 and 215 pounds.
Several rumors have surrounded the 49ers' top two wideouts, Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. While the team aims to sign Aiyuk to a long-term extension, both players have been linked to recent trade chatter.
Corley's best season was in 2022, when he caught 101 passes for 1,295 yards with 11 touchdowns while adding 11 carries for 87 rushing yards. He caught 259 passes for 3,035 yards with 29 touchdowns through his four collegiate seasons with the Hilltoppers.
Click here to view our meeting tracker, which compiles all the reported formal and informal meetings between San Francisco and the players hoping to be part of the NFL's latest rookie class.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place in Detroit, Michigan, from Thursday, April 25, through Saturday, April 27.
More must-reads: