Atlanta Falcons Trade-Up for Ole Miss QB Matt Corral in Peter King's Final Mock Draft

The Atlanta Falcons trade back into the first round for Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.

Author:
Ben King
Publish date:
Apr 25, 2022 4:32 PM EDT

In this story:

Ladies and gentlemen, it is finally draft week in the NFL.

Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral has been all over the place in recent mock drafts, and that trend will likely continue until draft night. We have seen Corral get drafted in the top 10, while in another he falls to the second round.

At this point, you would be better off attempting to win the lottery than correctly guessing where Corral will fall.

Matt Corral

In Peter King's final mock draft, Corral makes it all the way to pick 32 before the Atlanta Falcons trade back into the first round to draft their quarterback of the future.

*32. Atlanta Falcons: Matt Corral, quarterback, Ole Miss
*Projected Trade: Lions trade the 32nd pick to the Falcons for a second-round pick this year (43rd overall) and a second-round pick in 2023.
This is all about a team, Atlanta, believing in a quarterback this year, and investing a chunk of draft capital in him that isn’t cost-prohibitive. (I hear the Falcons like Corral.) If you think you might have a long-term quarterback and it costs you two second-round picks, is that really a major cost? No, it’s not. This pick is not something I’m convinced about. It’s more about the concept of it. If a team wants a quarterback but isn’t positive about this group, it can still invest in one. It’s a conservative investment, keeping in mind that quarterbacks don’t come cheap. If you really want Corral or Malik Willis or Desmond Ridder, wouldn’t you think a price of two second-round picks would be worth the risk?

The Falcons end up giving the Detroit Lions two second-round picks to draft Corral 32nd overall.

That is a small price to pay if the Falcons believe Corral can lead their franchise for the next decade.

The Falcons would not have to rush Corral if he is not ready by week one with veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota on the roster. Drafting Corral in the first round also gives the Falcons the opportunity to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

Atlanta is definitely a team to keep an eye on in the Corral sweepstakes after he visited with the Falcons last week on the final day of pre-draft visits.