The mark of any good coaching staff is being able to take a raw prospect and mold them into a dependable NFL player. The New York Jets’ current regime under Aaron Glenn understands this.

The previous staff seemingly did not.

There are countless examples of Robert Saleh’s staff being unwilling or unable to coach up young players. While there are plenty of success stories, there are just as many failures.

The biggest of those failures came during the regime’s final draft, with a player who was perceived to be coveted by the Jets’ coaches and front office alike.

Jets’ Coaching Failure

When the Jets drafted Malachi Corley in the third round of the 2024 draft, the organization, led by Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas, was overjoyed. The receiving prospect out of Western Kentucky was nicknamed the “YAC King” for his ability to make things happen once the ball got in his hands.

There was a reason Corley fell all the way to the third round, though. Despite a successful college career, Corley was seen as a raw route-runner who needed proper coaching and a good system to really hit the ground running to start his career.

That wasn’t some new scouting report, either.

“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,” NFL.com’s profile on Corley said. “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.”

It was clear from the very beginning that Corley was a raw prospect who needed proper coaching.

That is why Rich Cimini’s nugget from June is so surprising. The ESPN Jets beat reporter detailed a coaching staff that wasn’t as excited about Corley as originally thought.

“For all the draft-day fanfare, Corley never was embraced by the previous coaching staff — which noticed immediately that his route running lacked precision, likely the byproduct of having a limited route tree at WKU,” Cimini said.

“His maturity also came under scrutiny, with some in the organization privately questioning his approach, according to people with knowledge of the situation.”

There are a number of reasons why this latest report from Cimini is troubling. First, Saleh had a good understanding of the kind of player Corley was, but the offensive staff not seeing the same showed a clear disconnect on what the Jets wanted on offense in 2024.

It also showed that New York’s coaching staff had absolutely no desire to actually teach the younger players on the roster that needed some time to develop.

Again…the Jets coaching staff refused to do the job they were paid to do.

Not good.

There is the outlier that Aaron Rodgers’ arrival at quarterback stunted the growth of offensive players because New York was totally focused on winning, but Rodgers, like the coaching staff, isn’t here anymore.

There are plenty of receivers in the NFL today who are raw route-runners and need to be schemed open, including a Pro Bowl star like Deebo Samuel.

When players like Samuel begin their careers, it is up to the play-caller to scheme them open. Corley is one of those players.

If offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand can do what Nathaniel Hackett and New York’s former offensive staff failed to do, Corley could have a role in the Jets’ offense – one that may turn New York’s embarrassment into a role of competency.