2022 NFL Draft: Matt Corral vs. Malik Willis A Must Watch Matchup

Liberty QB Malik Willis and Ole Miss QB Matt Corral collide Saturday in what will be a must see for 2022 NFL Draft fans and evaluators.

As the readers here know by now, the 2022 NFL Draft doesn’t exactly feature the cream of the crop in terms of quarterback prospects. It’s not a class that measures up to the past couple classes, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of talent. There are still a group of signal-callers that could hear their name called in the first round next spring. Two of those quarterbacks will meet this Saturday in what should be one of the most anticipated games of the season, for us NFL Draft nerds anyway.

Liberty travels to face Ole Miss in Oxford, where Malik Willis and Matt Corral will (not technically, but you know) face off. Some publications around the blogosphere have Willis as QB1 with marked improvement, while other analysts have moved Corral to QB1 after a strong season. So what should be expected in this matchup and what do we need to see for each quarterback?

For Willis, he’s been improving as a passer this season. The wow throws have always been there on tape, and he’s a quick, powerful athlete on the move and as a runner. This season, there have been flashes of improvement within structure and the arm talent is clearly impressive. He can buy time with his legs and make impressive throws out of structure with top level arm strength.

However, Willis has had some hiccups this season. His three interception games against Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Monroe should raise some eyebrows. The placement isn’t very consistent from down-to-down, and errant throws that miss wide, high, etc. are getting intercepted. He’s still acclimating to operating comfortably in the pocket. Seeing more linear growth to finish the year out will be huge for his draft stock.

For Willis, this weekend will be an important test. There are those who will hang on to the “level of competition” argument, and this is the perfect week to dispel it. Mississippi may not boast the best defense, but they have the talent advantage up front and in the secondary. If Willis can stay composed, get the ball out quickly in structure, and be confident in taking shots while limiting turnovers, he could turn plenty of heads this weekend.

Shifting to the other side, Corral has vastly improved this season. He was considered a high variance player coming into 2021, as bad turnovers plagued his tape. This season, he’s been more risk-averse, and the ball placement has clearly improved. He has quick feet and a quick release to work the quick passing/RPO game, and a sufficient arm to challenge defenses vertically. Corral is also enough of an athlete to extend plays and pick up chunk yardage as a runner.

Size will of course be a concern for some NFL teams, and for others, the sufficient arm talent might not be enough. There are also instances of Corral leaving the pocket early when unnecessary, as he’s been looking to run pretty quickly this year. If it’s a one read and go type of offense, fine, but if he isn’t getting to other reads, then that brings about a processing question. His running tendency has happened at times when there’s a slight disruption in the homeostasis that is a clean pocket, something as mentioned, isn’t always necessary.

He did force a ball against Auburn last weekend in the red zone, which maybe brought up his tendency to force the issue back in 2020 when down and the feel of needing a big play. In this game, Corral needs to be the 2021 version of himself, and a good game should be the result. Seeing him stick in the pocket more and progress through reads would be good for his stock as well.

This game won’t necessarily solve the lack of a true QB1 issue in the 2022 NFL Draft, but it will give plenty of scouts some live viewings to bring back and discuss with coaches and general managers. One big game doesn’t make a prospect, but it will likely move the needle for some if one outplays the other. Both Matt Corral and Malik Willis will of course say it’s just another game, but for those interested in the 2022 NFL Draft, it’s an absolute must watch to get a sense of how a couple of the top quarterbacks perform with the draft and scouting world focused on them.