NFL Draft: Should Falcons Skip Ole Miss QB Matt Corral Over 'Character Concerns'?
The Atlanta Falcons cannot rely on gossip and hearsay. They have to develop their own angle of opinion on Matt Corral. So ...
If, however, you are an anonymous NFL source of SI insider Albert Breer?
Your view seems to be awful. Ugly. Something just this side of "vicious.''
A sampling of Breer's sourced comments ...
“He’s kind of a mess. …''
“He got into a fight with one of Wayne Gretzky’s kids in high school that led to his transferring, and there’d been questions about his maturity his first couple of years at Ole Miss ...''
“You hear he’s a big party guy.''
"This guy, it’s all zone read, he’s looking at one defender and throwing behind him. …''
"There are character concerns. I’m not sure you want him leading your program, his sorts of issues aren’t the kind solved by giving a kid millions of dollars.''
Anything else? Does Matt Corral hate kittens? Eat babies?
Photo by John Korduner/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
To be fair, Breer also finds some NFL comments that are less negative regarding Corral. And along with these concerns, Corral still remains one of the top QB prospects in this year’s class. His outstanding career with Ole Miss has him in position as a possible first-round pick. ... but also possibly as just the fourth QB selected, and maybe not until the second round. (To the Seattle Seahawks, maybe?)
It is true that Corral at 6-2 and 212 does not possess a gigantic frame. It is also true that he plays with a "reckless style'' that some teams might view as a sign of his desire. And at 23, we don't argue he's got growing up to do.
Meanwhile ... We know the Washington Commanders have looked at QB with a high pick, though they are now whispering that maybe Carson Wentz is something more than "just a bridge QB.'' And we know the Falcons have visited with Corral as well and "have to draft a QB.'' (Meaning, mostly, Malik Willis.)
But when does Atlanta have to do that? It doesn't have to be in Round 1. That visit may have cleared up everything for the Falcons regarding Matt Corral - and the "clearing up'' doesn't have to be quite as dark as the anonymous sources have painted it.
