Salk on NFL Draft: Do QBs Malik Willis, Matt Corral fit for Seahawks?

For the first time in a long time, the possibility of the Seattle Seahawks drafting the quarterback of their future is in play for the NFL Draft.

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The Seahawks own three selections inside the first 41 picks of this month’s draft, including No. 9 in the first round, and quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral are both interesting considerations for Seattle.

Are either a fit for Seattle, both when it comes to the offensive system that will be employed by Pete Carroll’s team going forward or in regards to the Seahawks’ draft position?

After a weekend of crushing tape – OK, watching some YouTube clips – of Willis and Corral, self-proclaimed NFL Draft aficionado Mike Salk shared his thoughts of the two players on Monday’s edition of Seattle Sports Station’s Mike Salk Show.

Here’s what he had to say.

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty University

• Salk’s breakdown: He’s not the most polished quarterback in this draft, he’s very raw, but he’s probably the most talented, high-upside quarterback in the draft. He’s got a rocket arm, he can really throw it, he can really run, and he’s big enough. He’s 6-foot and a half, so he’s two inches bigger than Russell Wilson. … I watched the highlights – he sure looked big enough to me. He has a little bit of Colin Kaepernick honestly with kind of the way he runs, maybe a little bit more physical than Kaepernick was. But then, I mean, he could turn it on in the open field and he can really throw it deep.

When you watch him, a couple things stand out. One, he’s legit fun. He’s big enough, he’s fast enough, rocket arm, you can see all the raw potential where if you have the time to kind of allow him to grow, he’s got every skill you would want from a professional quarterback. I loved reading this, and one of the draft profiles (from The Draft Network) I read about him, tell me this doesn’t sound good for a Seahawk: “RPO and quarterback run-heavy offense with featured passing in the shallow areas and vertically down the field. Doesn’t that sound a lot like what Pete’s looking for?

A new clip to add to the Malik Willis highlight tape 🎥 pic.twitter.com/hVYvhMmWzh

— Liberty Football (@LibertyFootball) September 26, 2020

• The fit: I do think there’s an argument to be made that if you put them in this offense with some of the skill and talent around him that you would get as an NFL team, he can make things happen, and certainly he can do so with his legs. Do I draft him at nine ultimately? No, I just couldn’t take the risk. I think he’s a very interesting prospect and by all accounts he’s a tremendous leader and a great kid. It does sound like he tilts the room. If the Seahawks do end up taking him, I’ll be surprised, not shocked. … If they traded down and took him, I’d be a lot less surprised. What if you trade down from nine and take him at 14 – will I be surprised at that? No, and I won’t be surprised if he’s gone (by 14) either.

Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss

• Salk’s breakdown: There’s something there, man. I see why folks want to put Matt Corral on the Seahawks, as well. It’s the release that you notice. … He’s twitchy, he’s athletic, but what you notice when you watch him is – it’s almost Dan Marino-like how quickly he goes from deciding to throw to getting the ball out of his hands. It is really fast. He made some mistakes, especially earlier in his career… There have been some rough moments. He cleaned a lot of that up last year and had a much better season than he did in 2020, which by the way was the COVID year.

Keep an eye out for Matt Corral. The Ole Miss QB is ready to turn some heads. 👀 @corral_matt

📺: @OleMissFB Pro Day on @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/jMnsLRCAEl

— NFL (@NFL) March 23, 2022

• The fit: If Pete says he wants a point guard (at quarterback), and we’ve heard that from Pete before, including what a couple of weeks ago… that’s what this kid is. He is a point guard. … The ability to just get the ball out and be a point guard is what stood out to me … I’m probably not doing it with the No. 9 pick, I don’t think anybody thinks that’s where he belongs, but you got two picks in the 40s – could Corral be an option there? Yeah, I absolutely could see them going with someone like Matt Corral in that spot.

You can hear the full segment, as well as FOX Sports college football analyst Brock Huard’s thoughts on both Willis and Corral, in the podcast at this link or in the player below.

Why Seahawks could go O-line with No. 9 pick, and who the options are

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