Boom! Boom! Pow! Jets hope trio of rookie playmakers' physical approach 'permeates' the entire team

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Malachi Corley's eyes light up whenever a defensive player squares up to tackle him.

The New York Jets rookie wide receiver is ready to deliver an even harder hit.

And then he keeps running.

“Every time I get the ball, I’m trying to make something happen with it,” the Jets' third-round pick out of Western Kentucky said during the team's rookie minicamp. “And running through guys is just my way of imposing my will.”

That physical approach is why the Jets also drafted a pair of bruising running backs in consecutive rounds last week, taking Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen in the fourth and South Dakota State’s Isaiah Davis in the fifth.

“To have a guy with that mindset, I think it’s contagious,” coach Robert Saleh said. "To bring in the two big backs, that’s contagious. To have that mindset, to bring that physicality, the offensive line, all of it, the hope is that it becomes a contagious trait that permeates throughout the entire building.”

Corley led the country with 1,674 yards after the catch and 55 broken tackles during his last two seasons with the Hilltoppers, earning the nickname “YAC King.” That penchant for never shying away from contact impressed the Jets during the draft process and made Saleh and his staff consider how that presence could help Aaron Rodgers and the offense.

“Especially in a time of self-preservation, he never runs out of bounds,” Saleh said. "That extra 1 or 2 yards, every yard matters. So many times, you’ll see ballcarriers run out. It’s first-and-10 and they get an 8-yard gain, they run out of bounds. You’re thinking, ‘Well, second-and-2,’ but then it’s third-and-1, and then you’re punting, versus stick my foot in the ground, get vertical on first-and-10, now it’s first-and-10 again, get a whole new set of downs.

"That is a huge difference in football."

Corley is seen as a complement to Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams and Allen Lazard in the Jets' passing game. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound wide receiver has drawn comparisons to San Francisco's Deebo Samuel because of his comparative size — Samuel is 6-feet tall and 215 pounds — and physical approach as a do-it-all playmaker.

“I think it's an amazing honor,” Corley said of being mentioned with Samuel. “I think I’ve hardly scratched the potential of who I am as a player. I think the yards after catch thing is just something that I do. But (I'm) just trying to elevate my game even past that label of just being a gadget player and a weapon and all those things.”

Corley could get a crash course this offseason in what he needs to do to succeed in Nathaniel Hackett's offense from Rodgers. The two share business agents and the four-time NFL MVP offered Corley to stay in his guest house — something the rookie intends to take him up on.

“That's going to be my dog while I'm here,” a smiling Corley said with a laugh.

At 20 years old, Allen was the youngest player in the draft last weekend. But by no means does he look or play like a kid.

The 6-1, 235-pound running back ran for 3,494 yards and 35 touchdowns in three seasons with the Badgers — and made a reputation for himself as a tough-to-tackle playmaker. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry over his career while using a mix of speed and power.

“It's just been the way I've played my whole life,” Allen said. “It was kind of my advantage as a young kid, kind of being a little bit bigger than everybody else.”

He wrestled when he was younger and said he learned about using leverage to his advantage, as well as hand fighting and mental discipline. And he carried that with him to the football field.

The Jets see him as a potential change-of-pace complement to Breece Hall, whose speed allows him to bounce outside and sprint downfield while Allen is more of a between-the-tackles grinder.

Same for Davis, who's 6-1 and 220 pounds and helped South Dakota State win back-to-back FCS national championships. He ran for 4,458 yards and 50 touchdowns, averaging a whopping 6.7 yards per carry in his four seasons with the Jackrabbits.

“I guess it’s just a standard you’ve got to live by, play the game by,” Davis said. “I’ve always played a game (with) physicality. And I thought we did a good job at SDSU of doing that. So, just come in here doing the same thing, you know, assert dominance.

"The NFL is a physical game, so running back, special teams, whatever it may be, just assert dominance and be physical.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

New York Jets' Isaiah Davis works out during an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets' Braelon Allen speaks to the media after an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets' Malachi Corley works out during an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets' Isaiah Davis works out during an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets' Braelon Allen works out during an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

New York Jets' Malachi Corley works out during an NFL rookie minicamp football practice Friday, May 3, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto had his first multihomer game with the Yankees, Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14 and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also went deep for New York, which has won 12 of 14 and improved to an AL-best 32-15. Soto was 4 for 4 with a walk and is batting .317 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs.

“It was a fun day," said Soto, who has rebounded after a 3-for-25 slide on a six-game road trip."

New York is 12-2-1 in series, matching 2002 as the only times since 1950 the Yankees have won 12 of their first 15 series.

Soto tied the score in the first with a 417-foot drive deep into the right-field bleachers, had an RBI single in the second and hit another solo shot in the fifth with a 437-footer deeper into the right-field bleachers. It was the 18th multihomer game for Soto, who combined with Stanton and Aaron Judge to make New York the first team this year with a trio of double-digit home run hitters.

Gil (5-1) won his fourth straight start and fifth consecutive decision, allowing one run, five hits and one walk in six innings. Gil has given up two runs over 24 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

“I have a great professor in Gerrit Cole,” Gil said through a translator of his Cy Young Award-winning teammate. “He’s always around and always giving me pointers.”

The 25-year-old right-hander averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball, 0.5 mph above his season average. He set the Yankees' rookie record for strikeouts, topping the 13 on Aug. 13, 1998, by Orlando Hernández, who threw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch.

“I was very happy to meet him after the game,” Gil said. “For him to be here and connect after the game — great.”

After struggling through a 29-pitch first inning that included 13 changeups, Gil struck out seven in a row starting in the fourth in a streak ended by Eloy Jiménez’s single.

“Maybe his best fastball of the year, which is saying something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Brad Keller (0-2) allowed a career-high four homers. Making his second start this season, he gave up six runs — five earned — and seven hits in four-plus innings. Chicago batters struck out a season-high 16 times as the White Sox dropped to a major league-worst 4-18 on the road and 14-32 overall.

Andrew Benintendi’s opposite-field RBI double to left put Chicago ahead in the first, but Gil stranded the bases loaded when Korey Lee took a fastball for a called third strike.

Soto tied the score, Judge reached on an infield hit when third baseman Danny Mendick double-clutched before his throw, and Stanton hit an opposite-field RBI double off the right-center wall for a 2-1 lead.

Stanton homered to right-center in the fourth, his 11th of the season and fifth in nine games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: INF Bryan Ramos, on the IL since straining his left quadriceps Tuesday, could soon start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, manager Pedro Grifol said.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation and edema) threw his first bullpen session in which he sat down in the middle for a break simulating an inning. “That’s a big, big one for him to check that box,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “See how he bounces back after today and then go from there.” Cole was throwing in the low 90 mph range and soon could progress to batting practice. Cole was told to stop throwing in mid-March and pitched his first bullpen on May 4. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is likely to need four or five minor league rehab starts, simulating spring training.

UP NEXT

LHP Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.31) starts Sunday’s series finale coming off his first consecutive winning outings with the Yankees. RHP Chris Flexen (2-3, 4.46) starts for Chicago.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-1. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates after a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-1. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) beats the throw to Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn for a single during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, left, celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Brad Keller, right, reacts as New York Yankees' Juan Soto runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, New York Yankees' Juan Soto runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)