Matt Corral on draft slide: Chip on shoulder just got even bigger
Former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral chose to attend the 2022 NFL Draft and sit in the green room, only to have his name remain on the board until midway through the third round when the Carolina Panthers took a flyer on him. As an undersized quarterback who already held a chip on his shoulder, the wait only fueled his desire to prove doubters wrong.
During an interview with NFL.com ahead of rookie minicamp, Matt Corral spoke candidly about the added chip on his shoulder and his experience at the draft in Las Vegas.
“I mean, I had a chip on my shoulder before. But it just got even bigger,” Corral said. “(Draft night) was for sure, a roller coaster. It was a bunch of mixed emotions. When I got that phone call, I have truly never been happy and sad at the same time. I’ve never felt that before.”
After his slide out of the first two rounds, rumors began to swirl about commitment and maturity issues for the Ole Miss star. While Matt Rhule and the Panthers have already denied any such issues in their research, Corral put the talk to rest on his own.
“Truthfully, I don’t know where that came from,” Corral said. “It’s just one of those things that got out there. That was honestly the first time I heard that. That’s nothing I can control. I got picked up. I’m here with an opportunity, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Carolina Panthers select Matt Corral
With the No. 94 overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers selected Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral in the third round. The Panthers likely selected him because of a strong final college season with the Rebels, where his production remained high despite personnel losses from the 2020 season.
The Panthers traded the No. 137 overall pick and a future third-round pick to the New England Patriots for the No. 94 pick.
Corral was a former four-star recruit according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. Corral was the fifth-highest rated quarterback of the 2018 recruiting class.
Corral ranked top-ten in passing efficiency, touchdowns and yards in his 10 starts — and was a Manning Award finalist in 2020. In their Outback Bowl win over Indiana, Corral threw for 342 yards and two touchdowns. His final season saw him finish seventh in Heisman Trophy voting in a season where he threw for 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions — as well as rushing for another 11 touchdowns.