The New York Giants are doing their due diligence with a variety of players, even going as far as to inquire about several quarterback prospects, despite having committed to Daniel Jones for the 2022 season.
If general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll fall in love with a quarterback in the draft class, I wouldn’t be surprised if they took a shot, developing him behind the scenes in case Jones fails to take a big step forward.
Obviously, the decision to draft a quarterback would take one significant pick away from the Giants, which could’ve been used on offensive line talent or a stud defensive piece. However, they met informally with Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral this week at the NFL Combine, who is heavily connected with the Manning family.
“Yeah, I had an informal with the Giants (on Tuesday), just talking Xs and Os, them trying to see how much knowledge I have of it,” Corral said when speaking to the media. “It went really well, I think.”
Corral had his best season to date in 2021 with Ole Miss, playing in 13 games and recording 3,349 yards and 20 touchdowns. After throwing 14 interceptions back in 2020, he cut that number to five, hitting 67.9% of his throws.
Having taken such an astronomical leap forward, Corral showed solid arm strength, zip on his passes, a quick release, and unparallel toughness. He’s able to take off running on 3rd downs and showcases athleticism in the open field, but he also has good pocket presence.
There’s a lot left for Carol to un-tap regarding his game, but he does have slight physical limitations at 6’1″ and 205 pounds. He’s not the biggest quarterback in the world, but we’ve seen smaller guys succeed beyond expectations in the past.
While his connection with the Manning family may give him an opportunity to connect with the Giants more frequently, it won’t have any impact on the team draft class this year.
“My relationship with Eli, I actually hung out with his family quite a bit, towards the beginning of my career at Ole Miss and toward the end when Arch was visiting and all that,” Corral said. “I was a big part of that, just being around and being around the family, being around Cooper a lot, honestly. The time I had with them that the school recorded us, that was kind of a surprise. I had no idea he was going to be there, so that took me by surprise. It was just really cool to be around a legend like that.”
The Giants won’t have to spend the 5th or 7th overall picks on Corral, giving them an opportunity to trade back, add more capital, and still take the quarterback if they so desire. Again, I highly doubt they will make a move on Corral in the draft, but if they fall in love with his tangibles and leadership qualities, there’s no saying what Schoen and Daboll could do with their capital.