NFL Draft scouting report: Ole Miss QB Matt Corral

Matt Corral has a wide range of opinions entering the 2022 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at his scouting report, player comparison, and potential draft range. 

For the past two years, NFL Draft analysts have been closely observing Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in order to get a gauge on his draft stock and evaluate the prospect. Corral jumped onto the map after a very strong 2020 season and he continued to build his resume in 2021 with his ability to take care of the football and win games in a tough SEC schedule.

Matt Corral NFL Draft overview

Matt Corral was a redshirt junior for the Ole Miss Rebels in 2021. Corral saw his first extensive playing time in 2019 but became a full-time starter for Lane Kiffin’s offense in 2020. During his college career, Corral earned 8,287 passing yards to go with 57 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Corral has an interesting blend of traits at the QB position, but he’s a tough projection to the NFL game.

Strengths:

• Rapid, tight release. Ball comes out in an instant with no wasted motion
• Outstanding velocity at the flick of a wrist. Can put the ball on a rope
• Terrific short-to-intermediate accuracy
• Excellent at hitting receivers in stride and allowing them to run
• Plus mobility to extend the play and create with his legs
• A threat to take off and run the ball if given space
• Lofting, accurate deep ball when given a clean pocket
• A winner. 10-3 as a starter in 2021 in the SEC despite a lackluster supporting cast at Ole Miss
• Tied Eli Manning for the best record since 1972
• Quality upside thanks to plus arm and athleticism
• Rose to the occasion often against great schools
• Great yards per attempt production (9.1) despite getting the ball out fast
• Fiery personality. Might have that “it” factor to his game

Weaknesses:

• Slight frame (6’1 5/8”, 212 pounds) and has been banged up often
• Injuries are a concern at the next level. Could stand to add some weight
• Heavy RPO is a concern. Don’t know how he will look in a pro-style offense
• May not be the same running threat in the NFL
• Single-read QB who could use a year to sit and learn
• Wasn’t great when under pressure last year
• Has been flagged for some past maturity issues

2021 statistics

13 games, 260-384 attempts, 3,343 passing yards (8.7 Y/A), 20 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 155.4 passer rating, 152 rushing attempts, 614 rushing yards (4.0 AVG), 11 rushing touchdowns

NFL Player Comparison: Zach Wilson

It wasn’t easy to come up with a great NFL player comparison for Matt Corral, as there just aren’t a lot of guys that fit his size profile with his playstyle. However, I think a slightly lesser version of Zach Wilson isn’t a bad comp. Both Corral and Wilson are undersized quarterbacks, but they both have live NFL arms to rip the ball with plenty of velocity across the middle of the field. Wilson has the better overall arm strength of the two, but both have plus mobility to threaten defenses outside the pocket. Like Wilson, Corral could struggle if asked to play right away and he could use a year to develop as he learns to go through progressions and read an NFL defense.

Projected NFL Draft range: Late first-round pick

Matt Corral seems unlikely to be one of the first two quarterbacks selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, he could be the next of the group off the board as early as the mid-first round. Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett are currently projected to be the two top picks at the quarterback position. Outside of these two, it really comes down to preference, and there will be teams that like Corral. The Ole Miss QB is likely to slip outside of the top fifteen picks. The Steelers seem like a possible landing spot if they stand pat at pick 20. If not, I think he goes somewhere late in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Final thoughts

Matt Corral is a very intriguing quarterback prospect in a rather unspectacular class. While he doesn’t have ideal size and didn’t run a pro-style offense, he did an excellent job leading his team to a very successful season in the SEC in 2021. I think Corral might be the best pure passer in this class and he has solid upside at the next level.