Intriguing potential trade involving Matt Corral emerging ahead of NFL Draft

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is one of the several signal callers grouped together and it’s unsure if any QB stands out from the pack in the minds of NFL general managers searching for their future franchise passer in the 2022 draft.

With so much movement involving big-name starting quarterbacks this week, highlighted by the Seahawks trading Russell Wilson to Denver, ESPN’s Todd McShay believes the landscape has now changed when it comes to quarterbacks as the NFL Draft inches closer.

The Seahawks currently hold the No. 9 overall pick and while McShay has them taking elite Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeuax in that spot, he believes Pete Carroll and company will then use their bevy of assets to jump back into the first round to select a potential replacement for Wilson.

“I now believe the move is maybe to trade back down to get a guy like Matt Corral, he’s kind of got similar skills to what Russell Wilson had. Do you trade back into the first round to go get him now that you have all of these first round picks this year and next year.”

I think that would be a more logical possibility when you could get an elite talent like Thibodeux at that spot.”

While there are varying opinions on how Matt Corral will translate to the NFL, McShay’s comparison to Wilson is a strong one. It’s easy to forget the future Hall of Famer fell in the draft due to his size which allowed Seattle to scoop him in the third round — and at the time — the plan was for him to be a backup to Matt Flynn who had just signed a massive contract as the starter.

Like Wilson, Corral is a bit undersized for a quarterback listed officially at 6’0. In 2021, the dual-threat QB posted impressive numbers throwing for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He showcased his running ability as well, adding another 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Matt Corral explains why he’s ready for the NFL

Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is viewed as a late first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Prior to the NFL Combine, he shared why he’s ready to not only play in the league, but start.

In ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has Corral going to the Detroit Lions as the No. 32 overall pick via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams. But Detroit has a starting quarterback in Jared Goff, which would make Corral’s path to a starting job a tough one.

Ahead of the combine, he made his case for why he can be a starter in the NFL.

“What really separates me is my ability to lead a team,” Matt Corral said, via NFL.com’s Dan Parr. “I understand what it means to be vulnerable around people who don’t necessarily want to be vulnerable. I was one of those guys who didn’t want to talk about emotion. That’s just how it was. … If I was crying, I was like, ‘stop crying.’ I have two older brothers, and it was like a toughen-up type of thing.”

Corral starred for Ole Miss this past season, throwing for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns to help the Rebels to a 10-3 overall record, including 6-2 in SEC play. He suffered an ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl, but that doesn’t appear to have impacted his draft stock too much. He confirmed this week the injury is healed and he’s ready to go for this weekend’s combine in Indianapolis.