Corey Willis: The Next Antonio Brown?

Corey Willis, like all wide receivers in the 2018 NFL Draft class, was hoping to hear his name called on draft day.

Though he did not get invited to the Combine or get drafted, Willis’ NFL dreams remain alive after he signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.

According to Central Michigan Life, the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings were other teams that really wanted him.

It isn’t surprising Willis received a lot of interest outside of the Cardinals’ organization as his success as a Central Michigan Chippewa speaks for itself.

College Statistics (38 games): 161 catches, 2,394 yards, 23 touchdowns

Willis is known as the receiver that surpassed Antonio Brown in Central Michigan’s record books for the third-most touchdown catches in their history.

Now it is early to say that Willis will become the next Antonio Brown but from a physical standpoint, the idea is not so farfetched.

Take a look at his game-winning touchdown as the Chippewas upset Oklahoma State University. He made a lot of unbelievable, game-changing plays throughout his collegiate career reminiscent of Brown.

Here are some of their results from the Combine/Pro-Day:

Antonio Brown (5-10, 181lbs): 4.57sec 40 Yard Dash, 33.5 Vertical Jump, 6.98 3-Cone Drill

Corey Willis (5-10, 182lbs): 4.55sec 40 Yard Dash, 33 Vertical Jump, 6.85 3-Cone Drill

Both wide receivers were standouts at Central Michigan and have very similar size and speed. Willis certainly left his mark in college, thriving in the slot position, but will have to adjust to NFL speed right away.

In order to have a career close to that of his Central Michigan counterpart, he will have make it through OTAs first.

Undrafted free agents can be cut at anytime, as we saw with Elijah Battle, Mike Needham, Jonah Trinnaman, and Austin Olsen just a couple weeks ago to make room for the recently signed tryout players.

Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Brice Butler, J.J. Nelson, and Chad Williams will be on the 53-man roster. This leaves only one more spot at the wide receiver position up for grabs.

He will be battling for a roster spot with Carlton Agudosi, C.J. Duncan, Cobi Hamilton, Rashad Ross, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Tolliver.

They will have to showcase their talents not only as a pass catcher but also as a special teams player during offseason activities and training camp to have a shot at the final roster.