Matt Corral Selected by Lions in Latest ESPN Mock Draft

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. predicts Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral to Detroit.

Author:
Ben King
Publish date:
Mar 22, 2022 6:11 PM EDT

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With the first week of NFL free agency almost over, ESPN unveiled a new mock draft on Tuesday morning now that teams have had a chance to fill roster needs.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. stuck with his prediction from his previous mock draft and remains set on the Detroit Lions selecting Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral with the 32nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Matt Corral

This is what Kiper had to say about Corral to Detroit:

"I'm going to stick with Corral to the Lions, but I keep hearing it's not out of the question that he is the first quarterback off the board. He didn't work out at the combine, so teams haven't gotten a look at him since his ankle injury in early January. He's going to throw for scouts at his pro day Wednesday, and he could create some buzz there. He throws a ball with some zip and is extremely tough, though he doesn't have a huge frame (6-foot-2, 212 pounds). The biggest question revolves around the offense he ran in college; his coaches didn't ask him to make many reads. There will be an adjustment in the NFL."
"For the Lions, I just don't see Jared Goff as the future. This allows them to get a potential quarterback of the future on a team-friendly five-year contract."

If Corral goes to Detroit, he can choose to take his time adjusting to the NFL by sitting behind current Lions QB Jared Goff.

As Kiper stated above, Corral could be moving up draft boards soon with the Ole Miss Pro Day on Wednesday. While in Oxford, Miss., Corral will get the chance to throw in front of NFL scouts for the first time this offseason.