Matt Corral 2022 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 212 lbs
School: Mississippi
Matt Corral 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Matt Corral was the primary signal-caller for the Ole Miss Rebels as a Junior in 2021. He was a four-star recruit out of Long Beach Poly High School in Long Beach, California, and was the 98th-overall recruit by ESPN Scouting in the class of 2018. Corral was redshirted his first year in college before making his first start in 2019.
He would go on to start in four games and see action in a total of 10. His best game as a freshman came in a 31-17 victory over Arkansas where Corral completed 16 of 24 passes and threw two touchdowns. The standout performance earned him his only SEC Freshman of the Week award. Over the next two seasons, Corral would go on to start in each of the Rebels 23 games, finishing with 6,686 passing yards, a completion percentage of 69, and 64 total touchdowns. In 2020, he led the FBS with 384.9 yards of offense per game. He was then one of just two Division 1 quarterbacks to throw for over 15 and rush for 10 or more touchdowns in 2021.
Strengths
- Excellent release that allows him to deliver quick throws inside and strong throws outside the numbers in the intermediate areas of the field
- Ability to deliver powerful and accurate throws with his feet set in a number of different ways
- Evades pressure with relative ease and can make off-schedule plays from outside of the pocket
- Incredibly tough for a 6’2” quarterback while not being afraid to take a hit to make a play
- Can sell the pass and take off from the pocket with his legs
- Decisive and efficient with his first-reads
Weaknesses
- Somewhat undersized for a quarterback that takes a lot of hits
- Can sacrifice ball security for trying to extend the play
- Ran a lot of RPO concepts at Ole Miss that could make his transition to the NFL tougher
- Poise in the pocket can suffer when he’s asked to make multiple reads
- Adequate deep ball strength but does not throw it with consistent accuracy
NFL Comparison: Baker Mayfield
Teams With Need at the Position: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders
Projection: First round/early second round
Bottom Line on Matt Corral
Corral has every skill-based trait to be a very successful starting quarterback in the NFL. He has the dual-threat ability teams are looking for in a modern-day quarterback but possesses enough accuracy and arm strength to hit any receiver on the field. However, there are some intangibles to be wary of that are somewhat out of his control. He is undersized for the recklessness he plays with and he was not asked to develop as a field reader in Ole Miss’s offensive scheme. The best-case scenario for Corral is that he is able to go to a team that can provide him ample time and on-field protection to develop into a smart and decisive passer. From a skill-based perspective, Corral may be the best pure quarterback in the 2022 draft class.
Games watched: Florida (2020), Alabama (2021), Arkansas (2021), Tennessee (2021), Texas A&M (2021)
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
