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Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is scheduled to visit the Pittsburgh Steelers next week per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Speculation on his draft position runs from the best quarterback available, to 4th best available in a weak 2022 quarterback draft class. Corral took over as a starter for Ole Miss in 2019 as a redshirt freshman in the SEC and started over 30 games for Lane Kiffin. The team showed progress every year he was at the helm, capping off a redshirt junior campaign where Ole Miss finished 11th in the nation going 10-3 and making it to a New Year’s Day Sugar Bowl appearance. Prior to the NFL Combine, he was arguably no worse than the 2nd best quarterback available in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.
Corral chose to skip the NFL Combine in Indianapolis after injuring his ankle in the Sugar Bowl against the Baylor Bears. NFL scouts instead were treated to an eye-popping performance by Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett’s hands came up a little small. The narrative around the quarterback prospects was seemingly set and Corral wasn’t part of the talking heads’ discussion. Corral would have to wait until his scheduled Pro Day on March 23rd to demonstrate he was still worthy of first round consideration. Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada, and Kevin Colbert attended the Pro Day to observe firsthand the young signal caller’s potential.
Corral measured just under 6 foot 2 and seemed comfortable moving through his paces in simulated drop backs and rollouts. He exhibited that he had not lost any arm strength and has an NFL ready arm. He does not possess elite arm talent, but he can make all the throws with velocity and reasonable accuracy. Corral chose not to run a 40-yard dash or shuttle drill during his Pro Day, but his college tape demonstrates that he is a willing runner when necessary, rushing for 11 touchdowns in his final season.
Steelers NFL Draft prospect, QB Matt Corral. | Carleigh Holt-The Grove Report
Corral is a vocal leader and is held in high regard by his Ole Miss teammates. He played in the Sugar Bowl for Ole Miss and potentially hurt his draft stock by sustaining an ankle injury, but he volunteered for the good of the team and that trait must endear him to Mike Tomlin. He plays the position well and has a firm grip of what the offense is trying to achieve, and he makes quick reads. Game tape reveals that Corral is not only comfortable with, but ran more RPO’s than virtually any other quarterback in the country. He makes quick decisions and completes 75% of his throws when he chose the pass option.
Corral did not demonstrate at the college level that he has a firm grasp on defenses when he is not using play-action during an RPO. He only completed 55% of his downfield throws when he threw from the pocket. He occasionally struggles with accuracy and will miss some throws. Matt Canada’s offense is predicated on the RPO, and they have Mitch Trubisky, so he won’t be called on to start immediately. But Corral needs to improve his pocket acumen.
Corral is a puzzling prospect. His tape shows a young man who commands an offense and plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder which served him well at a mid-tier SEC school. He has the potential to be the best quarterback in the class, but in this quarterback class, does it translate to the face of a franchise? The Steelers desire to become an RPO based offense could bode well for Corral as this is his unquestioned strength. However, if they pivot back after a year to a more traditional offense, he may struggle.
Corral is vocal. Like another brash young quarterback who is currently struggling to find a home, his comfort with being quotable can lead to problems. In one of his first starts against Cal, he antagonized the Bears in the press prior to their meeting in 2019.
Ole Miss went on to lose to Cal 28-20 after the cocky young quarterback bragged his team was tougher. He transferred in high school from the posh surroundings of Oaks Christian School after a fight with NHL legend Wayne Gretzky’s son to Long Beach Polytechnic citing that Oaks Christian was ‘for rich kids who would never have to work a day in their lives.’ Corral committed to USC and the University of Florida during his recruitment period and ultimately left both at the altar after for Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin has experience with letting your mouth get you into hot water and did a good job focusing his young quarterback as his college career progressed. Mike Tomlin will have to take an active role in continuing to guide his development when potentially speaking for one of the NFL’s flagship franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt Corral’s draft comparison is Baker Mayfield. He does not have a Heisman Trophy or two College Playoff appearances, but he does mirror Mayfield in his demeanor. Corral will not be called upon if the Steelers select him to resurrect a moribund franchise. He will be asked to hold a clipboard, learn the offense, and develop into a leader on the field. Tomlin is the NFL’s best as a leader of men and Colbert does a great job finding the type of young men Tomlin can reach. If they think he is the long-term answer at quarterback, then Canada is here to stay and the Steelers offensive horses may soon find themselves corralled by a young Corral.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Please comment below or find me on Twitter @thebubbasq.
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Corral chose to skip the NFL Combine in Indianapolis after injuring his ankle in the Sugar Bowl against the Baylor Bears. NFL scouts instead were treated to an eye-popping performance by Malik Willis, Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett’s hands came up a little small. The narrative around the quarterback prospects was seemingly set and Corral wasn’t part of the talking heads’ discussion. Corral would have to wait until his scheduled Pro Day on March 23rd to demonstrate he was still worthy of first round consideration. Mike Tomlin, Matt Canada, and Kevin Colbert attended the Pro Day to observe firsthand the young signal caller’s potential.
Corral measured just under 6 foot 2 and seemed comfortable moving through his paces in simulated drop backs and rollouts. He exhibited that he had not lost any arm strength and has an NFL ready arm. He does not possess elite arm talent, but he can make all the throws with velocity and reasonable accuracy. Corral chose not to run a 40-yard dash or shuttle drill during his Pro Day, but his college tape demonstrates that he is a willing runner when necessary, rushing for 11 touchdowns in his final season.
Steelers NFL Draft prospect, QB Matt Corral. | Carleigh Holt-The Grove Report
Strengths
Corral is a vocal leader and is held in high regard by his Ole Miss teammates. He played in the Sugar Bowl for Ole Miss and potentially hurt his draft stock by sustaining an ankle injury, but he volunteered for the good of the team and that trait must endear him to Mike Tomlin. He plays the position well and has a firm grip of what the offense is trying to achieve, and he makes quick reads. Game tape reveals that Corral is not only comfortable with, but ran more RPO’s than virtually any other quarterback in the country. He makes quick decisions and completes 75% of his throws when he chose the pass option.
Weaknesses
Corral did not demonstrate at the college level that he has a firm grasp on defenses when he is not using play-action during an RPO. He only completed 55% of his downfield throws when he threw from the pocket. He occasionally struggles with accuracy and will miss some throws. Matt Canada’s offense is predicated on the RPO, and they have Mitch Trubisky, so he won’t be called on to start immediately. But Corral needs to improve his pocket acumen.
Draft Projection: 20th to 64th (3rd or 4th QB selected)
Corral is a puzzling prospect. His tape shows a young man who commands an offense and plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder which served him well at a mid-tier SEC school. He has the potential to be the best quarterback in the class, but in this quarterback class, does it translate to the face of a franchise? The Steelers desire to become an RPO based offense could bode well for Corral as this is his unquestioned strength. However, if they pivot back after a year to a more traditional offense, he may struggle.
Bottom Line for the Steelers
Corral is vocal. Like another brash young quarterback who is currently struggling to find a home, his comfort with being quotable can lead to problems. In one of his first starts against Cal, he antagonized the Bears in the press prior to their meeting in 2019.
Ole Miss went on to lose to Cal 28-20 after the cocky young quarterback bragged his team was tougher. He transferred in high school from the posh surroundings of Oaks Christian School after a fight with NHL legend Wayne Gretzky’s son to Long Beach Polytechnic citing that Oaks Christian was ‘for rich kids who would never have to work a day in their lives.’ Corral committed to USC and the University of Florida during his recruitment period and ultimately left both at the altar after for Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin has experience with letting your mouth get you into hot water and did a good job focusing his young quarterback as his college career progressed. Mike Tomlin will have to take an active role in continuing to guide his development when potentially speaking for one of the NFL’s flagship franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Matt Corral’s draft comparison is Baker Mayfield. He does not have a Heisman Trophy or two College Playoff appearances, but he does mirror Mayfield in his demeanor. Corral will not be called upon if the Steelers select him to resurrect a moribund franchise. He will be asked to hold a clipboard, learn the offense, and develop into a leader on the field. Tomlin is the NFL’s best as a leader of men and Colbert does a great job finding the type of young men Tomlin can reach. If they think he is the long-term answer at quarterback, then Canada is here to stay and the Steelers offensive horses may soon find themselves corralled by a young Corral.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Please comment below or find me on Twitter @thebubbasq.
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
