Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral declared for the 2022 NFL Draft as a redshirt junior and is in the conversation of being among the top three players at his position in this year’s class.
A polarizing prospect, Corral’s outlook widely varies from pundit to pundit, but one transcendent aspect is his limited scheme fit. Most quarterbacks tend to get pigeonholed into a specific style of offense, but it’s a glaring reality with Corral’s style of play.
Height: 6-foot-1 5/8
Weight: 212 pounds
40 time: N/A (4.80-second 40 as a recruit in 2018)
Corral appeared in four outings as a true freshman in 2018 and was able to carry a redshirt designation into the next season, one in which he started a quartet of contests.
In 2020, the California native led the FBS in total offense per game (384.3) while finishing seventh in both touchdown passes (29) and aerial yards (3,337). He won Most Valuable Player in the Outback Bowl.
Table: Matt Corral NCAA stats (2019-21)
*includes postseason/bowl games
Cutting down on silly mistakes was the most important aspect of Corral’s game that significantly improved in 2021. He threw 60 more passes and nine fewer interceptions. Several of his picks in ’20 were downright ridiculous, essentially lobbing gifts to defenders. All told, Corral’s final season saw him draw second-team All-SEC honors.
Pros
- Moxie defines his game — plays with tremendous heart and constantly displays an obvious competitive streak
- Lively arm, especially in the intermediate game — more than enough zip to throw from outside hash to opposing sideline on time
- Has grown as a player and person — improved decision-making, accuracy, and maturity in his four years at Ole Miss
- Confident in his skills — drives throws into tight windows, puts touch on passes against tiered coverage
- Lightning-quick release is his best physical attribute — sound mechanics overall when given time
- Savvy in RPO situations — great at tucking the ball to sell a fake and will hold-n-pull until the last moment if he spots a developing lane
- While not known for his deep ball per se, he puts touch on a well-arced ball
- Looks to throw first is dangerous with his legs, particularly so on designed runs
- Patiently awaits play development (perhaps to a fault at times) and showed dramatic improvement in 2021 for his willingness to eat the sack rather than put one up for grabs
- Has a chip on his shoulder that cannot be taught
Also see: 2022 NFL Draft Central
Cons
- Some really ugly interceptions on tape — most of them came in 2020 as he was late to throw down the field and often into multiple defenders
- Needs to improve touch and timing on underneath throws — lacks elite arm strength throwing deep
- As previously mentioned, sometimes waits too long for plays to develop
- Most apparent concern is his physical stature — players are who they are, so it’s tough to call this a true negative, but he has suffered a few injuries already and is smaller than the ideal NFL size
- Really tough to see him maximizing his potential outside of a zone-read, play-action-heavy offensive design
- Possibly some lingering concerns about maturity after altercations during his high school years — he has acknowledge and worked to improve, though
Fantasy football outlook
The immaturity issue is overblown, and Corral has developed as much as a person as he has as a quarterback. At a minimum, it’s unfair to penalize someone for getting into a fight in high school or being cocky four years later.
To his credit, while at Ole Miss, Corral recognized he was experiencing depression and sought medical treatment. We saw a direct correlation in his on-field performance improving as a result. That’s not an action typically taken by a rudderless, immature person.
Corral is unlikely to start in 2022 without an injury, regardless of where he ends up in the draft. It will be surprising if he is chosen in the first round as he’s likely No. 3 on most boards in what is a weak class, but trading up late into the first from a team afraid they could miss out on him in Round 2 makes more sense.
He’d be an intriguing fit for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The offense last year was run by Matt Canada and didn’t employ his personal flavor of designs as Ben Roethlisberger was a physical shell of his former self. Canada prefers an athletic quarterback who can thrive in an offense that features run-pass options. And it would give a long-term Plan B is Mitchell Trubisky falters.
Any team drafting Corral must accept they’ll have to mold the system to fit his talents and not be so rigid. He’s a legitimate NFL talent if the team around him provides adequate support. Typically, small-framed QBs don’t excel in fantasy football, but we’ve seen exceptions, most notably Drew Brees … Corral is no Brees, yet can can still muster value with his legs.
Other teams with elevated interest in Corral could be the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks. Wild cards could be the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions and New York Giants. Seattle and New Orleans figure to be the most likely landing spots, but the Brian Daboll-led Giants present a viable fit.
In the best-case scenario for fantasy, Corral will be something of a Russell Wilson-lite, and the other end of the spectrum has him washing out of the league by the end of his rookie deal. That’s quite the range, of course, so we’ll take a deeper dive once he lands on a roster. His game flashes elements of a younger Wilson, Trubisky, and Baker Mayfield.