Baltimore Ravens Replacing WR Odell Beckham Jr. With 'Draft Steal' Malachi Corley?

Will the Baltimore Ravens attempt to replace veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. by drafting Western Kentucky receiver Malachi Corley?

It appears as though Odell Beckham Jr.’s time with the Baltimore Ravens is over now that the veteran has been linked to other teams in free agency.

Luckily, this NFL Draft class is expected to be one of the deepest in history when it comes to the receiver position. One player the Ravens have been watching is Western Kentucky’s versatile wideout, Malachi Corley.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers wide receiver Malachi Corley (11) turns up field after making a catch

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Baltimore is expected to have one of the best run games in the league after signing future Hall of Fame rusher Derrick Henry to pair with reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. Drafting Corley could make the team more explosive in both the run and pass game.

Corley has been compared to San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel because of the versatility his skill adds to an offense. Standing 5-11 and weighing 215 pounds, Corley is built like a running back, and he’s not afraid to get physical with his defenders similar to Samuel.

Over the past two seasons, Corley has averaged roughly 1,200 yards from scrimmage on over 12 yards per touch and 11 touchdowns. Corley is a bulldozer of a receiver that can be used in a variety of ways to maximize his ability to create yards after catch, and former Baltimore receiver Steve Smith Sr. has already referred to  him as the “steal of the draft.”

Often used in jet sweeps and given lateral handoffs in the passing game at Western Kentucky, Corley is a different type of receiver than OBJ, but he just might be the right man to get the Ravens over the hump and into the Super Bowl for the first time since 2012. 

Yesterday Corley visited the team in Baltimore, which suggests that the front office is seriously considering him as a prospect worth drafting into this offense. 

A young receiving core that has the speed of Zay Flowers and the physicality of Corley could be a nightmare for opposing defenses that already have to worry about Jackson and Henry buying them in the run game and arguably the have league’s top tight end duo Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. 

Don’t be surprised if the Ravens take Corley sometime on Day Two of the NFL Draft to make the team’s offense even more explosive next season.