Malik Willis NFL Draft Overview
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6’0.5”
Weight: 220 pounds
School: Liberty
Malik Willis 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Malik Willis initially attended Auburn and played two seasons for the Tigers. But after the coaches at Auburn let him know that he would not be the team’s starter, he transferred to Liberty after the 2018 season. However, he was not allowed to suit up for his new school in 2019 since the NCAA denied his request to waive having to sit a year due to transferring.
In his two seasons with the Tigers, Willis played in 12 games and had only 11 completions on 14 attempts for a total of 69 yards and one touchdown. He added 28 carries for 309 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while at Auburn.
But in Willis’ two seasons with the Flames, he played in 23 games and had 377 completions on 604 attempts for a total of 5,107 yards and 47 touchdowns to 18 interceptions. While at Liberty Willis also had 338 rush attempts for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. In 2021 Willis got off to a hot start and threw 11 touchdowns and no interceptions in Liberty’s first five games. But he did throw 12 interceptions in his last eight games, including three games where he threw three picks in each contest. Consistency and ball security need to become priorities at the next level.
Strengths
- Dual-threat quarterback
- Good at recognizing blitzes
- Can get rid of the ball quickly
- Elite arm strength
- Strong hands
- Durable
Weaknesses
- Needs to improve at climbing the pocket
- Must improve at throwing with anticipation so windows do not close
- Must learn to “live for another down/possession”
- His touch needs to improve
- Needs to be more accurate with the football when scrambling out of the pocket
- Ball security needs to become more of a focus
- Overall mechanics need to improve
NFL Comparison: Jalen Hurts
Teams With Need at Position: Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints,
Projection: First round, possibly second round
Bottom Line on Malik Willis
Evaluating how Malik Willis will fare in the NFL is a difficult task. He is a bit of an enigma. It is possible that after all is said and done, he winds up being the best of the quarterbacks in the 2022 draft class as he does have the highest ceiling. However, he probably has the lowest floor as well. Willis has both elite rushing talent and arm strength, but there are areas where he needs to improve, including his mechanics and his touch.
Above, in this article, Willis’ NFL comparison is listed as Jalen Hurts and that is appropriate. But while Hurts is talented, he is still trying to improve he is a starting quarterback in the NFL. Willis will want to prove he is more than what Hurts has shown thus far. And it is certainly possible he does so. However, Willis could also either wind up being what Hurts is now or fall short of the current version of Hurts. All three options are on the table for Willis. While predicting how talent and players will translate at the NFL level is often an inexact science, it seems to be particularly difficult to nail down what Willis will be at the pro level, even though he does have a lot of raw talent.
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