The New York Jets spent some draft capital in April on wide receiver Malachi Corley, selecting him in the third round.

But so far, he has struggled to get playing time. He has just one catch for four yards, with that reception coming against Tennessee in Week 2. Last Sunday vs Pittsburgh was inactive.

This is a receiver who had a highly productive career at Western Kentucky that included a redshirt sophomore season in which he caught 101 passes for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns.

There was hope that Corley would quickly match up with Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard, with free agent Mike Williams still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last year.

But right now, there’s no room for him to shine, offensive lineman Todd Downing said Thursday. It’s not really Corley’s fault, he said.

“There’s an embarrassment of riches in the reception room at the moment and not cracking the top five or six of that group is not a knock on Malachi – it’s a testament to what (jets general manager) Joe (Douglas) done with that position group,” Downing said.

That room only got more crowded when the Jets traded Davante Adams last week. Right now, Corley is third on the depth chart behind Adams and Williams, the latter of whom could be traded at some point before next month’s deadline.

Behind Wilson is Irvin Charles. At the third wide receiver spot on the depth chart are Lazard and Xavier Gipson, the latter also handling the return duties.

It was thought that Corley could also help with the returns. But constant work did not materialize there either.

Downing said he was a “huge fan” of Corley in college and worked with him during the scouting process, mainly because he was checking quarterback reports. He called him “a dynamic guy with the ball in his hands.”

But, the learning curve in the NFL for a rookie can be a steep one. Some players, like 2022 first-round pick Garrett Wilson, can flatten it quickly. Corley hasn’t yet. But Downing said he’s learning.

“I think he’s maturing and understanding this game as a profession.” Corley said. “It’s not like college where you show up and you’re the best guy on the team and you know things always go your way. I think it’s been great watching him manage that maturation process, leaning on some veterans and getting some advice from them.

“My message to him and encouragement to him is to always be prepared because you never know when those opportunities will come, but also know that just because you don’t get a shirt on Sunday doesn’t mean people don’t believe in you.”