2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Matt Corral

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Matt Corral, 6-1/205 Quarterback Ole Miss

Matt Corral Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Accurate passer

Vastly improved decision maker in 2021

Quality ball placement

Throws a very catchable ball

Can throw receivers open

Beats good coverage with accuracy, placement

Has feel; shows some passing instincts

Able to loft in touch passes

Advanced field vision

Moves eyes through progressions

Quality arm

Can push the ball vertically

Can fire fastballs into tight windows

Good internal clock

Mastered his offense

Ball security was very improved in 2021

Mobility

Dual-threat to hurt defenses on the ground

Dangerous to pick up yards on the ground

Will juke defenders in the open field

Can be difficult to sack

Tough; plays injured

Said to be a hard worker in 2021

Weaknesses:

Needs to get faster working through progressions

A little shorter than ideal

Can play with a gunslinger mentality

Had maturity and character issues early in college

Summary: Corral was a top recruit coming out of high school, but he did not impress as a freshman in 2019, completing 59 percent of his passes for 1,362 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. Corral showed good development under Lane Kiffin, and in 2020, it looked like he was starting to realize the potential that made him a top recruit. The sophomore completed 71 percent of his passes that season for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also ran for 506 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Corral’s interceptions came in bunches, as he threw five picks in a narrow loss to LSU and six interceptions against Arkansas. He had a combined three interceptions over the other eight games.

Corral completed 68 percent of his passes in 2021 for 3,334 yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. He rushed for 11 touchdowns and 597 yards as well. The junior played with an injury for part of the year and led Ole Miss to one of its best seasons in program history.

As a passer, Corral is an aggressive trigger man who can rip a defense apart. He has a strong arm and is capable of going vertical to challenge defenses downfield. Corral is able to spin the ball to fire fastballs into tight windows in the short to intermediate part of the field. He flashes some accuracy, but could stand to develop his placement. Corral makes some big-time throws and isn’t scared to challenge defenses. Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin did a nice job of teaching Corral the Ole Miss offense, as Corral showed advanced intelligence to know where his receivers would be, and he already looked very natural executing the offense in his first season under Kiffin.

On top of being a dangerous passer, Corral hurts defenses with athleticism and running ability. He is a real threat to pick up yardage on the ground, showing a burst as a runner and some surprising elusive moves in the open field. It isn’t all that common to see SEC defenders get juked by a quarterback, but Corral did that regularly in 2020. On top of elusiveness, Corral is a tough runner who lowers his shoulder and tries to pick up yards after contact. He might need to do that less in the NFL because he would take some big hits. Instead, he should learn to slide more to protect himself from injury.



Corral does a nice job of scrambling to buy time to make throws on the run. When plays break down, he can make things happen off structure by picking up yards or letting his receivers break off routes to get open downfield. Dual-threat ability like Corral’s is en vogue in the NFL, and a lot of teams should be intrigued with his skill set.

Corral needs to get faster at working through progressions and moving beyond his first read. That is a point of improvement for the majority of quarterbacks going to the NFL. As a junior, Corral showed vast improvement in his decision-making and did a great job of cutting out the meltdown performances. Sometimes, he looks like he is wary of overthrowing receivers, so that leads to him overcompensating and leaving his ball placement a little off. Corral has a tendency to have passes a little short, behind, or low in order to make sure he gets the completion. That leads to receivers reaching and behind at times to make the catch. If Corral improves his timing, that should help to improve his ball location. It would also help him to throw receivers open and lead them for more yards after the catch.

Corral had some maturity and off-the-field issues early in his college career. There are reports, however, that he really matured and in his final season was putting in long hours of studying football and working hard to be the best he could be.

Some sources have concerns that Corral is a product of Lane Kiffin’s system, but there are plenty of teams in need of a young franchise quarterback. Some teams have given Corral a second-round grade, but he could be a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He should not slide lower than Round 3.



Player Comparison: Taylor Heinicke. Some team sources compared Corral to Heinicke in terms of skill set and gritty style of play.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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