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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
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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.
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.
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.
#2 - Denver Broncos have a top NFL roster without a top quarterback
The Denver Broncos are filled with talent on both sides of the ball, but their talent is being wasted without a quality quarterback under center. Neither Teddy Bridgewater nor Drew Lock is the future of this NFL franchise. New head coach Nathaniel Hackett has worked closely with reigning NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and could work his magic on Corral next.
Denver has a much better roster compared to Washington but would likely have to trade up to land Corral, as they are slated to pick ninth in this year's draft. If the Broncos do indeed draft him, the offense around Corrall would be just as young and as hungry as he is. Which could see the team making a statement in 2022 or 2023 as the Cincinnati Bengals did in 2021.
#3 - New Orleans Saints need to start one quarterback in 2022 instead of four different ones
The New Orleans Saints started four different quarterbacks in 2021 and still couldn't find a long-term answer at the position. Jameis Winston started the season as the #1 quarterback but suffered a torn ACL as well as an injured MCL. Trevor Siemian had a decent run as a starter but showed once again that he is better suited to being an NFL backup.
Taysom Hill remains an all-purpose athlete with no sole purpose on the roster and Ian Book floundered in his sole start as a rookie. Matt Corral could be the answer to solving the quarterback issues in New Orleans.
Despite not having Sean Payton as the head coach anymore, the Saints offer a great defense and a solid offensive line when they are on the field. The franchise has suffered a lot of turmoil as of late and needs to start building around one quarterback, not two or three. Jameis Winston could be brought back on a cheap one-year deal to start in 2022 as Corral learns the ropes behind him.
#4 - Philadelphia Eagles have too much draft capital to not take Matt Corral
The Philadelphia Eagles have three picks in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft: #15, #16, and #19. Quarterback Jalen Hurts played admirably across 15 games, passing for 3,144 yards on 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. This was in addition to 784 rushing yards for a further 10 touchdowns. Hurts simply doesn't look like he's on his way to becoming a dominant passer in the league and was barely able to get his team above .500 (they finished 9-8)
Philadelphia has major needs such as an edge-rusher, safety, and receiver and could use their first two picks to attempt to address those issues. But passing on several of the best quarterbacks in the draft class twice isn't ideal when you don't have a promising future with your current quarterback.
Corral is also a dual-threat quarterback but possesses a slightly better arm than Hurts. The NFC East is in the midst of a power shift and the Eagles could capitalize in a big way with an upgrade at quarterback.
#5 - New York Giants take Corral in a heart beat if he falls to Round 2 in NFL Draft
There is no guarantee that Matt Corral will get drafted in the first round. Following the NFL Combine, Pro Days and interviews, there's a chance he could go unpicked throughout the first round. His limited leadership experience and ball security issues could easily see him slide down into the second round. If he is still on the board, then the New York Giants should pull the trigger at pick No.36.
New head coach Brian Daboll did wonders with Josh Allen in Buffalo and Corral has been compared to Allen in terms of his mobility and arm strength. Daboll hasn't committed to Daniel Jones and may want to bring in some strong competition to test the limits of his current starter. The scheme fits and Corral is too good to pass on should he fall to the second round, despite his flaws.
