While the 2022 NFL Draft class of quarterbacks may be viewed as weak, that doesn’t mean signal-callers won’t get pushed up the board as usual. According to projections, Ole Miss’ Matt Corral is one of five QBs with a chance to be selected in the first round. Where are his best landing spots in the NFL?
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NFL Draft Projections: Matt Corral’s potential landing spots
Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) and Malik Willis (Liberty) are widely expected to be the first two quarterbacks drafted, but it’s unclear how the rest of the group will shake out. Corral is in contention with Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder and North Carolina’s Sam Howell to become the third quarterback taken.
Given the unpredictable nature of this year’s draft class, Corral could theoretically be selected anywhere from the mid-teens to the mid-second round. He boasts solid production in the passing game, totaling more than 6,500 yards and 49 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Corral has also stepped up as a rusher, posting 500+ yards on the ground in both 2020 and 2021.
His negatives? It starts with Corral’s build. At 6’1″ and just 205 pounds, he’s slight for an NFL quarterback, and his aggressive nature as a runner doesn’t help alleviate those concerns. Additionally, Corral ran an RPO-heavy offense at Ole Miss, so pro teams could be worried about his preparedness for an NFL scheme.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints have the 16th and 19th picks in the first round after an early-April trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Did New Orleans execute that deal in order to land a quarterback? Or, given their constant salary cap issues, did they simply want to add two premium players on cheap rookie deals?
Unless there’s a frenzy of trade-ups for QBs, Corral should be available for the Saints in Round 1. Jameis Winston re-signed with New Orleans on a two-year, $28 million deal, but realistically, it’s more like a one-year, $15.2 million pact. Corral could sit behind the veteran for one year while learning the NFL game, then take over in 2023.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert is retiring after the draft, which throws Pittsburgh’s plans into question. Clearly, the Steelers need to find a long-term replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. But with Colbert headed out the door, is he going to select a quarterback that his successor may not even want?
Like the Saints, the Steelers also have a bridge quarterback in place in Mitchell Trubisky. However, Pittsburgh hasn’t hidden the fact that they’re interested in this year’s crop of signal-callers. They’ve made with the top five options in the class, and all signs point to the Steelers using the No. 20 pick on a QB. Like Trubisky, Corral is an athletic option under center.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans may have more pressing needs at linebacker, wide receiver, and offensive line, but it was hard to ignore Ryan Tannehill’s dropoff last season. His QBR fell from 72.6 in 2020 to 55.9 in 2021. After ranking second in expected points added (EPA) per play in 2020, he finished just 13th last year.
As a former wide receiver, Tannehill is larger than Corral, but they both offer extra mobility. Corral wouldn’t need to play right away in Tennessee. But when he’s ready, his abilities as a ball carrier would aid the Titans’ run-heavy offense.
General manager Jon Robinson doesn’t have a second-round pick as a result of the Julio Jones trade, and he’s been open about wanting to acquire more draft capital. Could the Titans trade back from No. 26 into the early second round and hope Corral is still on the board?
Detroit Lions
Jared Goff isn’t the answer in Detroit, but the Lions need to decide if they’ll pass up blue-chip talent at the top of the draft and instead take a quarterback. General manager Brad Holmes may be enamored with Willis or Pickett at No. 2 overall, but that would mean declining to select elite players like Kayvon Thibodeaux, Travon Walker, Evan Neal, or even Aidan Hutchinson.
However, it seems likely the Lions will wait on adding a signal-caller. They hold the 32nd overall pick as a result of the Goff/Matthew Stafford trade, and they also own the 34th overall selection at the top of Round 2. Nabbing a quarterback like Corral at the end of the first round would give Detroit the benefit of a fifth-year option down the road.
Seattle Seahawks
Corral won’t be in consideration at pick No. 9, which the Seahawks acquired from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Russell Wilson. However, Seattle also picked up the 40th pick from the Broncos in that deal, and they have their own pick (No. 41) in the second round. They could wait until those selections come up to draft a QB or package them together in a trade back into Round 1.
Seattle management has been talking up Drew Lock, but it’s hard to imagine they feel confident with him — or the recently re-signed Geno Smith — as their starting quarterback in 2022 or beyond. Pete Carroll is close with Lane Kiffin from their shared time at USC, so the Ole Miss head coach can presumably give the Seahawks plenty of intel on Corral. Seattle may be the one team on this list that could ask Corral to start in his rookie campaign.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have been searching for their franchise quarterback since Andrew Luck retired just before the 2019 campaign. They rolled with Jacoby Brissett for one year, then deployed Philip Rivers and Carson Wentz for one season each. In April, Indianapolis traded a third-round selection (No. 82 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons for Matt Ryan.
Ryan should represent a substantial improvement over Wentz, but he’s not the long-term answer as he enters his age-37 campaign. The Colts don’t have a first-round pick due to the Wentz deal, so they’ll have to hope Corral falls to No. 42 in the second round.
Indy could theoretically move up for a QB, but they’ve already given up enough capital in recent years. GM Chris Ballard would have to give up at least a 2023 first-rounder to get into the first round, something he’s likely unwilling to do.
Atlanta Falcons
Although the Falcons could draft a QB with the eighth overall pick, it’s highly unlikely to be Corral. If Atlanta decides to go that route, Willis or Pickett are the far more probable options that early in Round 1. But the Falcons also hold the 43rd and 58th selections in the second round. They could use either of those choices to add a quarterback or trade up to land their preferred signal-caller.
Marcus Mariota reunited with former Titans offensive coordinator and current Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, inking a two-year deal to serve as Atlanta’s quarterback of today. The Falcons are still searching for their quarterback of tomorrow, and Mariota would serve as an excellent mentor to Corral. While the veteran is much larger in stature than Corral, the two have similar playstyles.
