2022 NFL Draft: Matt Corral the Zach Wilson of the class of 2022?

The 2021 NFL Draft has barely cooled off at this point, but it’s not too early to start taking an early look at the 2022 NFL Draft especially when it comes to the quarterback position. The class of 2022 is shaping up to be a fascinating one even if, at this point, there is certainly no Trevor Lawrence-type of prospect, a no-doubter top overall selection.

One player who is worth keeping tabs on is Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Matt Corral.

Someone had to get the ball to Elijah Moore and Kenny Yeboah last year, right?

Corral has apparently been drawing the attention of NFL scouts and personnel executives throughout the NFL, at least that’s what NFL Network’s top NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah says.

Matt Corral: The Zach Wilson of the 2022 NFL Draft?

Considering the fact that players can come out of virtually nowhere these days and emerge as top prospects in their respective classes, why would anyone expect anything different of the class of 2022.

Prior to the 2017 college football season, no one was predicting Baker Mayfield as a number one overall pick. Prior to the 2018 college football season, more people were thinking Kyler Murray was going to go pro as a baseball player. Prior to the 2019 season, Joe Burrow was pretty much an afterthought. Prior to the 2020 season, Zach Wilson was certainly not considered a possible top-five pick in the draft.

Expecting the unexpected is tough to do because you never know where it’s going to come from, so you’ve got to be ready for anything.

That’s why the idea of Matt Corral as a possible top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft? Why not?

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1409874430860447748

Corral is a pretty polarizing prospect and too many people these days are trying to be the “first” on guys for the NFL Draft. That’s not the case here — we’re just talking about the guy and the possibility that he could ascend to that level.

In the 2020 season, Corral threw 14 interceptions but completed almost 71 percent of his passes. What’s the deal there?

Every interception has a story, but Corral’s high completion percentage and an average of 10.1 yards per attempt indicate that he was not out there just throwing screen passes.

You hate to really compare guys, but Corral does have a bit of Zach Wilson to his game when you watch him throw the ball with accuracy and touch deep down the field.

One of the most impressive parts of Wilson’s game this past season was the consistency with which he could drop the ball in the breadbasket on deep throws, and Corral has a similar ability.

Corral also does a great job of maneuvering around in the pocket, stepping up, and putting some nice velocity on throws even when he is off-platform.

There is a lot to like about Corral’s game and there’s also plenty that needs refinement. Still, he has the playmaker gene and with the attention of NFL scouts and talent evaluators, it will be a lot of fun to see how Corral responds with the spotlight on him weekly this coming season.