NFL combine 2022: Matt Corral says it would be blessing to be Big Ben’s heir, reveals WR he wants to play with

Matt Corral is not expected to work out during the NFL Scouting Combine, as the former Ole Miss quarterback is still working his way back from a right ankle injury sustained during the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2. Corral still decided to go to Indianapolis this week to interview with teams while taking questions from the media, who on Wednesday morning peppered him with inquiries about his NFL future. 

One of those questions was about the prospect of Corral being drafted by the Steelers, who for the first time in nearly two decades will not have Ben Roethlisberger under center for the upcoming season. Corral said that he would relish the chance to serve as Big Ben’s heir apparent in Pittsburgh. 

“Absolutely. Who wouldn’t want to step in after a Hall a Fame quarterback,” Corral said, via Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It’s definitely a blessing just to be considered that a team wants me after having a quarterback like Ben Roethlisberger.”

Roethlisberger, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Wednesday, won Pittsburgh over by winning two Super Bowls during his first five seasons. He further endeared himself to the city by playing the position with a toughness and style that reflected Pittsburgh’s blue collar attitude. Corral finished his collage career in a similar fashion, as he chose to risk negatively impacting his draft stock by playing in Ole Miss’ bowl game. Corral does not regret his decision to play in that game despite sustaining an injury. 

“There’s been quite a few who have asked me if I regret it. Absolutely not,” Corral said. “[Opting out] was never a thought in my mind.” 

Corral, during an interview with CBS Sports HQ, was asked about the possibility of reuniting with Colts receiver Michael Pittman, who was his high school teammate at Oaks Christian School. During their final prep game together, Corral and Pittman hooked up for 354 yards and five touchdowns on 16 completions. Incredibly, their team lost the game. 

“That would be amazing, honestly,” Corral said about the prospect of playing with Pittman again. “Mike’s a heck of a player. Double-covered in high school, it would be his ball and he would tell me to throw the ball to him regardless.” 

One of Corral’s goals during the combine is to show teams that he has a keen understanding of how to read defenses after primarily running the run-pass option at Ole Miss. While running an RPO offense may be a turn off for some teams, it is probably a positive for the Steelers, who haven’t been shy this offseason in expressing their desire to have a quarterback with mobility. Along with being a prolific passer at Ole Miss, Corral rushed for over 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final two years with the Rebels. 

Half of our CBS Sports NFL Draft experts currently have the Steelers selecting the 6-foot-1, 205-pound Corral with the 20th overall pick. If he is selected by the Steelers, Corral will be entrenched in a three-man race to be Pittsburgh’s new starting quarterback. Dwayne Haskins is expected to compete for the job, while Mason Rudolph, who has 10 career starts under his belt, is the current front-runner to win the job. 

Corral would be the first quarterback the Steelers have selected in the first round since the franchise took Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. It’s safe to say that Steelers fans would be happy if Corral’s career winds up being anything similar to the one Roethlisberger enjoyed, as long as that success comes in Pittsburgh.