Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral, one of the top prospects at his position, visited the Falcons on Wednesday, the last day for teams to host their top 30 visitors before the coming NFL draft, which will be held April 28-30.
After trading Matt Ryan to the Colts for a third-round pick, the Falcons have heavily scouted the quarterback group. The Falcons hold the eighth overall pick in the draft.
Corral, 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds, is ranked as the fourth-best quarterback in the draft behind Liberty’s Malik Willis, Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder. He could be available when the Falcons pick in the second round.
Corral is a mobile quarterback with passing skills.
The Falcons also brought in Willis and North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell for private visits.
They sent an entourage of more than 10 people to Cincinnati’s Pro Day and also interviewed Pickett at the NFL scouting combine.
The Falcons also heavily scouted quarterbacks last year before passing on Justin Fields and Mac Jones. With the fourth overall pick in 2021, they selected former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who went on to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
The Falcons, who are rebuilding, signed quarterback Marcus Mariota to a modest two-year, $18.7 million deal. They also have Feleipe Franks on the roster and did not re-sign Josh Rosen or AJ McCarron, who were with the team during the 2021 season.
The Falcons have several needs in the draft, including wide receiver and pass rusher.
The Falcons also had Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton and Michigan defensive lineman Chris Hinton in for visits last week. Hamilton, who played at Marist, is considered the top safety in the draft, and Hinton is the son of former Falcons offensive lineman Chris Hinton.
Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter/AJC
Here’s a list of the players the Falcons have hosted or have been linked to during the pre-draft process:
TOP-30 VISITS
Jelani Woods, TE, Virginia
Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
Kalia Davis, DT, Central Florida
Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA
Devin Harper, LB, Oklahoma State
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
DeAngelo Malone, DE, Western Kentucky
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
Kenyon Green, OT, Texas A&M
Kayvon Thibodeaux, OLB, Oregon
Sam Williams, OLB, Ole Miss
Jaylon Jones, CB, Ole Miss
Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
LOCAL-DAY VISITS
Chris Hinton, DL, Michigan
Quay Walker, LB, Georgia
Jequez Ezzard, WR, Sam Houston/Howard
Josh Blackwell, CB, Duke
Jalen Virgil, WR, Appalachian State
Shamarious Gilmore, OL, Georgia State
Joey Blount, S, Virginia
Quez Jackson, LB, Georgia Tech
Myjai Sanders, DE, Cincinnati
Other players connected to the Falcons:
Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Ja’Tyre Carter, OT, Southern
Roger Carter, TE, Georgia State
James Cook, RB, Georgia
Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky
Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State
Drake Jackson, DE, USC
Drake London, WR, USC
Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota
Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming
Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Justin Shaffer, OG, Georgia
Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
Isaac Weaver, C, Old Dominion
Zamir White, RB, Georgia
Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
AJC’S 2022 POSITION-BY-POSITION SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS – Falcons need to upgrade weapons | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS – Position has become devalued in draft | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS – Chigoziem Okonkwo survived heart condition | Top 10 TEs
OFFENSIVE LINE – Ex-UGA lineman Salyer points to wins in SEC trenches | Top 10 OL
QUARTERBACKS – Malik Willis now top QB prospect for NFL draft | Top 10 QBs
DEFENSIVE LINE – Georgia dominates D-line talk ahead of draft | Top 10 DL
LINEBACKERS – Ex-UGA star Dean the latest test of play vs. measurables | Top 10 LBs
CORNERBACKS – Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner or LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. | Top 10 CBs
SAFETIES – Georgia’ Lewis Cine will knock your block off | Top 10 Safeties
SPECIAL TEAMS – Special-teams players attracting draft interest | Top 10 Special-teamers
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