Many believed Malik Willis would likely be the first quarterback selected in the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, that was not the case as Willis was the third quarterback chosen behind Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder. The 22 year old was picked in the third round, 86th overall, by the Tennessee Titans.
“I have faith, man, and I have faith that God was going to put me wherever He needs me to go,” Willis said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. “I just have to understand that I don’t run things down here, and He does. He has a plan for me, and I am appreciative that He put me somewhere where I feel like I can grow and just get better.”
The Titans already have quarterback Ryan Tannehill signed through the 2024 season, but they have a potential out in 2023. So Willis will have a chance to sit and learn while fine-tuning his skills before getting a chance to start.
Willis threw for 2,857 yards while completing 61.1% of his passes in 2021. He also accounted for 27 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions last year while rushing for 787 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The former Liberty QB has a very strong arm and isn’t afraid to let it fly. His deep ball timing and ball placement are outstanding on deep throws. With his arm strength, Willis can make tight-window throws. He can extend plays with his legs and will bring a decidedly different skillset to the QB position in Tennessee.
“I feel like I have a lot of strengths, and I have some weaknesses as well. I just want to continue to improve and get better so I can play to my highest level,” said the new Titan.
When protected, Willis has shown the ability to go through progressions and is an excellent run-pass option quarterback. The 6’1” signal caller’s biggest strength is his ability to run; he can break tackles and get away from defenders. He rushed for 100 or more yards five times in the last two years at the college level.
Since Willis will have a chance to sit and learn, he can work on reading defenses and completing passes over the middle of the field. In college, he had a tendency to rely heavily on passing to outside receivers. However, in the NFL, he’ll need to be able to use the whole field.
Fans could see a special package for Willis in his rookie season with his ability to run the football. The Titans could install some read-option plays to get Willis’s talent on the field similar to how the 49ers deployed Trey Lance early on. This could help the young quarterback’s development and help get him acclimated to the speed of the game at the NFL level.
The Titans hope to win back to back AFC South division titles when they open their 2022 campaign later this fall.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83