Matt Corral is on the radar as a 2022 NFL Draft prospect

The SEC's top returning passer this year, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral is firmly on the radar for the 2022 NFL Draft. As he should be.

Once one NFL draft is in the books, talk about the next draft starts. The list of quarterback prospects for 2022 starts with Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and North Carolina’s Sam Howell, with some others sure to rise.

Ole Miss’ quarterback Matt Corral is the SEC’s leading returning passer this year. In 10 games piloting Lane Kiffin’s offense last year, he threw for 3,337 yards with 29 touchdowns with 14 interceptions. He completed 70.9 percent of his passes, while adding 506 rushing yards and four scores on the ground.

11 of Corral’s 14 interceptions in 2020 came in just two games-LSU and Arkansas.

NFL.com/NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is starting in earnest to take an early look at some 2022 draft prospects. Corral was the subject of a recent profile.

I've been asked which college QB could emerge this fall, similar to the way Jets first-round pick Zach Wilson popped on the scene last year at BYU. Corral would be my answer. He doesn't quite have the same arm talent as Wilson, but he has similar instincts, creativity and playmaking ability. Wilson had ball security issues in 2019 and he cleaned them up in 2020. I'm hopeful Corral will have similar results in 2021.

At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Corral is similar physically to Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft by the New York Jets. In terms of an established NFL quarterback comparison for Corral, Jeremiah has one of those too.

I just mentioned Wilson. Their situations are very similar. However, from a pure skill-set standpoint, I see Derek Carr as the better comparison for Corral. Carr is a little taller, but the operational quickness and athleticism between the two players is almost identical. Corral is more aggressive than Carr was during his college career at Fresno State, but both players could make every throw and also extend plays. Carr receives a lot of unwarranted criticism, but he's quietly emerged as one of the most consistent passers over the last several years. If Corral can improve his ball security, I could see a similar path for him.

My general dislike for Derek Carr goes back to when I took a scouting class heading into the 2014 draft and used him as my quarterback subject as he was coming out of Fresno State. Back then, I was not impressed by his pocket presence against tougher competition and what I saw as a scattershot deep ball arm (when he did let it loose). Today, I see him as a barely above average NFL starting quarterback who Jon Gruden will replace as soon he gets the right opportunity. So comparing Corral to him makes me turn my nose a bit, but I get it and Jeremiah is among those who think Carr is pretty good.

With another strong season in 2021, Corral could be a first-round pick next April.