The Eagles have seemingly punted on taking a quarterback in the 2022 NFL Draft after trading for a future first-round pick earlier this week, a move that once again sets them up next season to make a run at an elite quarterback prospect .
That trade has apparently not stopped them from doing their homework on this year's group of quarterbacks, however.
Speaking Wednesday on the Rich Eisen show, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral said that he has a visit planned to come to Philadelphia for a top-30 visit with the Eagles.
"The Panthers, Steelers, Atlanta, Eagles," Corral said when asked what official visits he has planned.
It will apparently not be Corral's first time in the NovaCare Complex.
"I remember going to the NFLPA and visiting the Eagles facility," Corral said. "I remember being in awe, it was a pretty cool experience."
Corral, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, threw for 6,686 yards, 49 touchdowns and 19 interceptions over his final two seasons at Ole Miss while adding 1,120 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
The Eagles showing interest in Corral is noteworthy. The Eagles only get a chance to bring 30 players to Philadelphia for an official visit. If they had no interest in Corral they simply would't use a top 30 visit on him. This is also not the first time the Eagles have shown interest in Corral, as they had an informal meeting with him at the NFL Combine.
Corral also has a history with Eagles quarterback coach Brian Johnson. Johnson was the coach who met with Corral at the Combine, but he also recruited Corral out of high school and at one point had the star quarterback committed to Florida. Corral eventually flipped to Ole Miss, but Johnson did visit Corral at his house during the recruiting process.
Could the Eagles shock the world and take Corral?
A big part of that depends on where Corral is drafted. It would be pretty shocking if the Eagles used a first-round pick on Corral, considering Jeffrey Lurie, Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni have all said multiple times throughout the offseason that Jalen Hurts is their quarterback. Going from saying that to drafting Corral at either No. 15 or 18 would be surprising, even with the team clearly not committed to Hurts beyond 2022. Then again, nothing should be ruled out, considering how many shocking moves the team has made at quarterback over the last few seasons.
Corral is unlikely to drop to No. 51, the Eagles first pick in the second round. Perhaps the Eagles have enough interest in Corral that if he were to drop into the second round they would move up the board to draft him. Taking Corral in the second round as a backup plan to Hurts is something the Eagles could do if they view him as a better quarterback prospect than Hurts, adding him as a safety net if Hurts doesn't improve next season. At that point the team could put in Corral and see what he has before having to decide what to do for the 2023 season.
But while the chances of team drafting Corral might seem slim, the reality is Corral is coming to Philadelphia for a reason. The Eagles only get 30 visits. They wouldn't be using one on Corral if there wasn't real interest in him as a prospect.
Whether they take Corral remains to be seen, but even after the Eagles trade with the Saints, it is clear that the speculation about the team adding a quarterback isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com
