Getty NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Matt Corral #2 of the Mississippi Rebels throws a pass against the Baylor Bears during the first quarter in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 01, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The 2022 NFL draft is just a few months away, and with the Denver Broncos officially out of the playoff mix, the draft is one of a handful of dates for fans to look forward to in the future.
The Broncos will be busy with five picks in the first three rounds of the draft and 11 picks overall. If the season ended today, the Broncos would select 11th, a selection that could rise or fall depending on Week 18’s results.
With a possible top 10 pick at their disposal, there are several directions the Broncos could go in with their first-round choice. However, the most recent Pro Football Focus mock draft from Anthony Treash sees the Broncos selecting for a position of need in the first round, a quarterback.
At number 11 overall, Treash has the Broncos choosing Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Matt Corral.
“Corral’s 2021 season took a nosedive mid-season when injury struck the quarterback and his top wide receivers. Yes, the Ole Miss quarterback fought through his ailments and played, but the output wasn’t up to this standards,” Treash wrote. “His 91.1 PFF grade through week 7 was the fourth-highest in the FBS, but that mark fell 20 grading points to 70.6 from week 7 on. Then, when Corral finally got healthy for the Sugar Bowl, he suffered an unfortunate ankle injury that knocked him out of the game.”
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Corral’s Sugar Bowl Injury Isn’t Serious
Corral suffered a right ankle injury late in the first quarter of the Sugar Bowl against Baylor. Scrambling on a 3rd and 20 play, Corral tried to run out of the pocket but was tackled awkwardly from behind. On the turf, writhing in pain, Corral would leave the field on a cart, later returning to the sidelines on crutches.
After the injury to Corral, seen as one of the upcoming draft’s top quarterback prospects, there was immediate worry it could impact his draft stock. However, a few days later, those fears were put to rest when Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin tweeted that the x-ray on Corral’s ankle was negative.
Good morning. Hope you have an amazing Monday! @corral_matt will be great his X-rays are negative. God has a plan that is greater than our own. Stop expecting yours to happen when YOU what it and how YOU want it! Everything happens for a reason, we just usually can’t see it yet.
Treash doesn’t believe the injury will hurt where Corral is drafted, mocking him as the second quarterback off the board to the Broncos at number 11.
“The good news for teams in need of a quarterback is that his recent injury shouldn’t affect his draft stock,” Treash wrote. “Corral was in a very friendly offense at Ole Miss, but he operated it with pinpoint timing and accuracy while making plays through the air and on the ground.”
Corral Showed Toughness Fighting Through Injuries
While a right ankle injury took Corral out of the Sugar Bowl, a left ankle injury hampered the quarterback throughout the year.
Showing toughness and leadership, Corral powered through the injury and explained why he chose to play rather than sit out and avoid further damage to protect his NFL future.
“I know there’s people on this team that look up to me. There’s a fine line of the position I’m in right now, and being hurt and being able to play,” Coral said on November 6 after Ole Miss defeated Liberty, 27-14. “I just think it wasn’t one of those things where I needed to step back and not play this game. I didn’t think I needed to do that. And I didn’t want to set that example for the younger guys. Like I said, I’m not injured. I’m just hurt. You can play through that. And my teammates know that.”
Suffering the injury in mid-October, Corral’s motivation to keep playing was not lost on his teammates or his college coach.
“Yeah, I think his quote he said after the game about injured vs. hurt, for a lot of young players to see that and see him play through that, it’s pretty powerful and pretty unique nowadays,” Kiffin told the Clarion-Ledger.
Corral Compared To NY Jets QB Zach Wilson
While every player is unique in their own ways, analysts and fans alike can’t help but compare incoming prospects to those who’ve already hit the pro ranks.
In Corral’s case, SI.com’s Albert Breer wrote that the opinion of Corral is mixed in NFL circles. While some compare him to Zach Wilson, last year’s number two overall selection by the New York Jets, others aren’t entirely sold on the quarterback.
“I think Corral is a fringe guy who could start with the right pieces around him, but he’s not ideal,” a scout told Breer. “Zach had more physical ability. Corral is tougher, mentally and physically, from what I’ve heard. For a small guy that doesn’t live on the deep ball, I expected Corral to anticipate and process better.”
According to Sports Reference, in four years at Ole Miss, Corral played 37 games, completing 67.3 percent of his passes, finishing with 57 touchdowns to 23 interceptions for 8,281 yards and a quarterback rating of 159.3. Corral also ran the ball 334 times for 1,338 yards and 18 touchdowns.