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NFL Draft 2022: Matt Corral Compared to Zach Wilson by Scout amid Injury Concern
January 3, 2022
The New York Jets thought highly enough of Zach Wilson to select him with the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and the BYU product has reportedly come up as a comparison point for prospect Matt Corral ahead of the 2022 draft.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated noted some have compared the Ole Miss signal-caller to Wilson even though others are concerned about his ceiling.
"I think Corral is a fringe guy who could start with the right pieces around him, but he's not ideal," a scout said. "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."
The Wilson comparisons make some sense.
After all, Corral is listed at 6'2", which is the same height as Wilson. They are also both capable of making plays with their legs and their arm, which gives defenses more to account for.
Wilson has been anything but consistent as a rookie, although he's on a rebuilding Jets team and not surrounded by the same level of talent as fellow first-year quarterback Mac Jones of the New England Patriots.
The 22-year-old has completed 56.7 percent of his passes for 2,247 yards, eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 161 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
He has shown some strides of late, though, and has seven total touchdowns and one interception in his past five games even if the Jets are 1-4 in that stretch.
There was a time when Corral was seen as a surefire Heisman Trophy candidate, but he fell behind other quarterbacks such as Alabama's Bryce Young—the eventual winner—and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud as the season progressed. It surely didn't help that his Rebels lost to Young's Crimson Tide 42-21.
Still, Corral led Ole Miss to a 10-3 record and appearance in the Sugar Bowl while completing 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with 614 yards and 11 scores on the ground.
Yet there are now questions about his health after he suffered an ankle injury in the Sugar Bowl loss to Baylor and was seen on the sidelines with crutches.
The B/R NFL Scouting Department listed Corral as the No. 3 quarterback prospect this year behind Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett in November, but that was before the injury.