2022 NFL Draft: Todd McShay shares where he is hearing Matt Corral will fall

Matt Corral is one of the top three or four best available quarterbacks in the 2022 NFL Draft, but while the big weekend in Las Vegas is rapidly approaching, there isn’t a clear-cut projection of where the Ole Miss quarterback will get drafted.

In fact, ESPN NFL Draft expert Todd McShay recently shared fascinating insight into just how big of a mystery Corral is considering the vastly varying opinions from NFL teams he’s heard this late in the evaluation process.

“I knew we were going to get to this and it’s amazing talking to people in the league, how many varying opinions are this late in the process with Matt Corral specifically,” McShay said. “And part of it, let’s face it, he’s got a live arm, he has the quickest release of any quarterback in this class and he’s mobile

“As one GM said, that dude is Braveheart,” McShay shared in reference to Matt Corral. “Everyone follows his lead and everyone believes there is no way they are going to lose a battle.”

Unlike last year’s NFL Draft where former Clemson star Trevor Lawrence was the clear No.1 option so there was no drama or intrigue when the Jaguars took him with the first overall pick, there are vastly different opinions on this year’s class depending which expert or NFL scout is giving their evaluation.

After noting the initial positives about Corral’s prospect as a NFL starter, McShay pivoted to the main points he — and scouts from throughout the NFL have shared — that cause pause for concern.

“But, you’ve got a quarterback who loves to run, it’s a big part of his game and staying healthy is going to be a concern,” McShay continued. “His downfield accuracy is a concern as well — as I saw on tape — and confirmed with other people I’ve talked to in the league.”

In 11 games — as the Ole Miss quarterback only took six snaps before suffering a scary injury in the Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor — Corral threw for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions and finished the 2022 season with a 10-2 record as the Rebels’ starting signal caller. As McShay noted, Corral is a true dual-threat QB and added another 614 yards on 152 carries and 11 touchdowns as a runner.

Where will Matt Corral get drafted?

While McShay usually has a solid grasp of where high-ranking quarterbacks will roughly get selected, the NFL Draft analyst has been particularly surprised with how differently NFL teams view the Ole Miss quarterback.

“But interesting on Matt Corral specifically, I talked to one team, a high-ranking scout on this team who is part of the decision making who said, ‘we’re still debating Corral as potentially the first quarterback on our board.’ And this team is a team that could potentially draft a quarterback in the first few rounds,” McShay said.

But then the longtime ESPN expert shared the other side of the coin.

“And then I talked to another team that said they had Corral as the fifth quarterback in this year’s class, behind Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell and Corral at number five.

And then I talked to two other teams that said there’s just too much stuff there with Corral, we got him in the second-round range.”

For McShay, Matt Corral remains one of the biggest mysteries this close to the draft, at that position, he’s seen in a long time.

“So you go from potentially top 10-15 pick, to second round which is a huge difference,” McShay continued. “And the first quarterback on one team’s board, and the fifth quarterback on another team’s board. I found that fascinating.”

The NFL Draft guru concluded about the varying opinions about Matt Corral with just weeks away from the big weekend in Las Vegas. “I look at all these notes I write down and it’s amazing, it’s like your talking two different languages on the different opinions.”