5 NFL teams that should look to draft Ole Miss QB Matt Corral
The 2022 NFL Draft is the next major event for the NFL and takes place from April 29th to May 1st. The draft order has been set with the Jacksonville Jaguars owning the first overall pick for the second straight year. One major storyline from the 2022 NFL Draft is the lack of star quarterbacks in the draft class.
Many believe we won't see a quarterback taken within the first ten picks, something that hasn't occurred since 2013 (one of the weakest QB draft classes in the last decade). Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis, and Matt Corral all have the potential to be the first quarterback off the board, but Corral has been consistently climbing the rankings over the last few months.
Matt Corral: Potential 1st QB taken in 2022 NFL Draft
The bulk of Corral's career at Ole Miss didn't start until 2020, his second season as a starter for the Rebels. After facing mental health difficulties and his troubled past, he was able to get in the right mindset and thrive under his new head coach, Lane Kiffin.
In 2019 Corral posted a 59% completion rate of 1,362 passing yards, throwing for six touchdowns and three interceptions. Corral upped the ante in 2020 with a career-high 70.9% completion rate, 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. In his final year in college, he threw for 3,343 yards on 20 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 11 scores.
Matt Corral - toughest QB in college football. https://t.co/Oi0A3XfI12
A quick scouting report on the 23-year-old signal caller would suggest that his upside comes in the form of his arm strength and pocket mobility. Whereas Corral's points of concern have primarily been around his small frame and the slow pace at which he goes through his progressions.
Nevertheless, Corral is still an NFL-ready quarterback but one who is best suited to sit as a rookie and take some time to adjust to the pros. With a bounty of quarterback-needy franchises in the draft, here are five teams that should put Matt Corral high on their draft board.
#1 - Washington Commanders have a new NFL brand and need a new NFL quarterback to match
Nothing against Taylor Heinicke, but he has seemingly reached his limit in the league as a starter. He's good enough to pull off sneaky comeback victories and take his team to the playoffs in a weak division. But Heinicke is not the guy to take Washington deep into the postseason or lead the franchise longterm.
Taylor Heinicke (& Washington, for that matter) ran the 3rd most Play-Action concepts last year among qualified starters. 34% of Heinicke’s drop-backs involved PA, via PFF.
Last season, over 60% of Matt Corral’s drop-backs involved PA.
On the other hand, Washington's scheme aligns well with Corral's playing style, he has the potential to thrive running a rather simple offense with a strong emphasis on RPOs. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner can help guide Corral as he acclimatizes to the league, while also working on sharpening the tools of the young quarterback.
The newly-rebranded Commanders have a strong run game that would aid a rookie quarterback, as well as a star receiver in Terry McLaurin, to make the passing game easier. Adding some more offensive skill players in free agency could certainly turn this team around.