Malik Willis performed quarterback at Liberty College (yuck and yuck) for 2 years after transferring from Auburn. He measured in on the mix at 6½-feet tall, and in Liberty’s greatest recreation of the yr, at Mississippi, he threw for lower than 200 yards, three interceptions, and rushed for lower than three yards per carry. Additionally, he rushed for round 900 in every of his two seasons at Liberty and 10-plus touchdowns. As a passer he averaged greater than eight yards per passing try and threw for 20-plus touchdowns in each seasons on a group that averages 39 dashing makes an attempt per recreation. And for these individuals who have been obsessive about hand measurements since Kenny Pickett’s disappointing 8½ measurement on the mix, Willis’ arms are 9½ inches.
At this level he’s the consensus finest quarterback on this draft, and by now any individual excessive on this draft determined for a quarterback normally would have talked themselves into snagging him. Particularly after what he did throughout his professional day. Willis hit the scramble drill and launched a 65-yard moonshot and dropped it proper into the receiver’s arms for landing, no want to go away the toes. There was an audible “whoa,” from these in attendance.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Willis ranked because the No. 1 quarterback on this down class for that place, and NFL Community’s Daniel Jeremiah has him because the second-best QB, however mentioned that he has probably the most potential. Kiper has Willis projected to go to the Pittsburgh Steelers at choose No. 20. He says they really need him and can possible do what it takes to pick out him, even when it means shifting up. To the groups forward of the Steelers on this draft, a lot of whom want quarterbacks, don’t overthink this, both draft Willis or make the Steelers pay large to your choose.
There have been many much less promising uncooked abilities to go early within the draft. The New York Giants are nonetheless bumbling round with Daniel Jones whom they chose sixth-overall, the San Francisco 49ers dipped into the FCS to get Trey Jones with the third-overall choose, even the Buffalo Payments went with Josh Allen out of Wyoming — it was not that way back that Allen was all expertise no contact as a quarterback.
NFL groups discuss themselves into quarterbacks the entire time as a result of the place is a lot extra necessary than some other on the sphere. It’s additionally the steepest studying curve, so time and endurance can be needed. I don’t see why a group with a deficiency at quarterback may take a look at this draft board, and never have Willis on the entrance of their thoughts. There are some excellent athletes ranked as the highest gamers within the 2022 draft. Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux are going to wreak havoc in opposing backfields, but it surely seems just one particular person could make that throw from Liberty’s professional day yesterday, and people are the kinds of performs that may change a complete group’s future.
Outdoors not being 6-foot-4, one in all his points is accuracy at each stage. Despite the fact that he accomplished over 60 p.c of his passes in each years as a starter for Liberty, two of its first 4 years within the FBS, there are affordable criticisms of his accuracy at each stage of the sphere. My counter argument, Josh Allen, two-year starter at a small FBS college. He’s completely a extra impressively constructed human being than Willis, 6-foot-5, 237 kilos, 10⅛ inch arms, and may arguably throw a ball so far as anybody who has ever performed within the NFL.
But when we’re gonna discuss accuracy points, within the clip above, Allen missed that receiver when he threw that 80-yard cross. In two seasons as a starter at Wyoming he by no means accomplished greater than 56 p.c of his passes, and by no means averaged greater than 3.7 yards per carry. The Payments took him seventh-overall within the 2018 NFL Draft, and after some early struggles, he can now go blow-for-blow in a playoff recreation towards Patrick Mahomes. It took two trades by the Payments to climb up from No. 22 in that draft to No. 7 but it surely didn’t price them any future first rounders, and now they’re Tremendous Bowls contenders for the primary time since Reebok Pumps had been flying off the cabinets at your native Foot Locker.
Between the Jacksonville Jaguars No. 1 total choose the Steelers at No. 20, there are eight groups in want of a brand new quarterback, and three extra who ought to not less than think about choosing Willis and letting him sit for the yr. He may be capable to get the Minnesota Vikings out of Kirk Cousins purgatory, or the Philadelphia Eagles again close to the highest of the NFC East. The Detroit Lions and New York Giants have many group holes that want filling, however they’ve veteran quarterbacks in place as starters and their coaches would be capable to take their time to easy out the tough spots in his recreation. Hell, the Giants have two top-picks. They need to be the group that everybody is nervous about drafting Willis — apart from the very fact they’ve by no means gone right into a season with a Black beginning quarterback in franchise historical past.
The very best state of affairs for Wiliis can be the Steelers and their secure group. Nonetheless, he shouldn’t simply be capable to fall into their laps. Willis is a quarterback over six-feet tall who can throw an correct 65-yard ball on the run, and is able to placing up running-back like numbers on the bottom. He could be signed for the worth of a rookie-wage scale contract. A contract that for instance, counted for lower than $4 million {dollars} towards the cap throughout his rookie season.
The good play is to focus on Willis on this draft, and the opposite groups have solely themselves responsible if he’s chosen by the Steelrers and brings them again to glory.
