2022 NFL Mock Draft: Matt Corral becomes the future in Atlanta
8. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Corral, Quarterback, Ole Miss
The first quarterback finally comes off the board! This is the lowest the QB1 of a draft class has been selected since E.J. Manuel was taken 16th overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2013. At this point, it is no secret that this quarterback class is extremely disappointing. There is a conversation about who is the QB1 of this draft class, but that has more to do with the fact that none of the top prospects at the position have solidified their status as such. There is a belief that this class could be treated by the league similarly to how the 2013 draft class went down. However, there are too many teams in need of a quarterback, that could finish near the top of the draft, for that to happen.
Last season the Atlanta Falcons had an outstanding opportunity to draft their quarterback of the future with the fourth overall pick. The Falcons could have chosen an Atlanta native in Justin Fields that has the potential to be a superstar at the next level. Instead, they passed on Fields to take Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. This move signaled that the Falcons were going to try to win-now being led by their elite group of pass-catchers. But shortly after the draft Atlanta sent Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans for a second-round pick.
The selection of Pitts was criticized much more after they traded Jones because it is hard to imagine the new regime feeling they have a better chance at winning without Jones than with him. On top of that Atlanta had the opportunity to take this year’s top wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and took a tight end instead. Pitts however is not just a tight end. He is a freak athlete and was a generational prospect at the position.
Since Atlanta’s awful start to the season against Philadelphia, Matt Ryan has played well. From Weeks 2-5 he is averaging 292 passing yards a game and completing 71% of his passes. He has a 10-3 touchdown to interception ratio and an 8-0 touchdown to interception ratio over the past three games. But Ryan is 36 years old and cannot be expected to be the team’s starter for much longer. If Atlanta continues to ignore their need for an heir to Matt Ryan they could end up like the Pittsburgh Steelers, except Atlanta’s defense is nowhere near the elite unit Pittsburgh is and cannot carry the team.
Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral could be a perfect fit in Atlanta, and he’s the pick in this 2022 NFL Mock Draft. Out of all of the quarterback-needy teams, Atlanta has the least amount of pressure to have a pro-ready rookie. Over the last two years, Corral has shown flashes of potentially being a star quarterback at the next level. But he has also had some brutal games that make people question his status as a potential first-round pick.
Two weeks ago against Alabama was extremely telling for how Corral could look at the next level. The Alabama Crimson Tide defense is the closest thing in college football to an NFL-level defense and at times could be more talented than the worst defensive units in the league. It may have been disappointing that Corral only threw one touchdown pass against the Crimson Tide. But his stats were actually extremely impressive. He completed 72.4% of his passes for 213 yards and had zero turnovers. That stat line looks very similar to what the 2021 NFL Draft class of rookie quarterbacks have put up every week this season. This confirms that Corral has the potential to be a starting quarterback at the next level.
In Atlanta, Corral could sit behind former league MVP Matt Ryan, get up to speed on the playbook, and get used to seeing NFL-level defenses. It is very likely that Atlanta holds onto Ryan next season and possibly the year after that. It’ll give the Falcons enough time to groom Corral into an NFL quarterback. He came into the season with questions about turnovers and has zero interceptions at this point of the season. An accurate quarterback with a strong arm like Corral could get outstanding production out of Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts in Atlanta’s offense.