Who is Malik Willis? If you haven’t paid attention to the Liberty superstar quarterback in college football, he should receive a lot more buzz soon as a prized NFL prospect in the 2022 draft.
Sporting News has Willis going No. 2 overall (to the lowly Lions) in our latest NFL mock draft for next year as both seasons this year are about to kick off. Willis (6-1, 215 pounds) is a lot more than a dual-threat QB with a dazzling small-school highlight reel. He can flat-out throw the ball at an NFL level and matches that with exceptional speed — to the point he will excite pro teams looking for a franchise passer the way the 49ers became enamored with North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
2022 NFL DRAFT: SN’s big-board ranking of top 50 prospects overall, best by position
Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty in 2019 to play for offensive-minded coach Hugh Freeze, also an SEC transplant (Ole Miss). Since becoming the Flames’ starter in 2020, Willis has been on fire. His numbers from last season (2,260 yards passing, 64.2 completion percentage, 8.5 yards per attempt, 156.2 passer rating, 944 yards rushing, 34 total touchdowns) are just scratching the surface of his upside. Now with real starting experience, expect the efficiency and overall numbers to shoot up, translating into a high NFL ceiling.
Although Willis doesn’t have the same size as Lance (6-4, 224 pounds), he has some of the same dynamic characteristics for a league that’s embracing arm and athleticism and going away from the traditional pocket passer. When watching standout plays from Willis’ junior season, he showed great arm strength but also touch and accuracy. His ball placement on deep shots often looked like long handoffs He zipped short passes well into tighter windows.
Then there’s the running. It’s easy to see that Willis has some of the lightning-fast qualities of Michael Vick (6-0, 210 pounds), but Vick isn’t the best comparison.
Willis also brings quickness and toughness to his elusive style. He looks bigger in action, which makes him similar to the late Steve McNair (6-2, 230 pounds), the Alcorn State great who became an NFL MVP with the Titans.
The raw skills to be an NFL superstar are there, and Willis’ weaknesses are coachable.
He needs to become steadier throwing the ball to the right places and making better decisions. That includes getting rid of the ball or choosing to take off and run more quickly. Willis threw six interceptions during Liberty’s 10-1 season and took 19 sacks in those 11 games, including several multiple-sack outings.
The mental mistakes should drop in 2021. Willis has confidence he can make a big play every time by buying time, but he needs to make the necessary little plays instead of letting pressure get to him and forcing hurried throws.
Outside of Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler, Willis is the highest-upside QB in the 2022 draft because of his physical skill set. Should he smooth out a few parts of his game, he will be at least the No. 2 QB on the board with a chance to challenge Rattler.
NFL teams are leaning to swing for the fences at quarterback, looking more for ceiling than floor with the bar raised so high and fewer “have-not” teams at the game’s most important position.
Liberty doesn’t play in prime TV spots. The only current top-25 opponent on its schedule is Louisiana, with Syracuse and Ole Miss being the Flames’ only Power 5 competition. The goal each game day for Willis will be to put out the most jaw-dropping tape possible so more attentive NFL evaluators can add gloss to their scouting reports.
The 2022 QB draft class offers strong competition, so Willis needs to take advantage of every scouting showcase. He has a much better chance of living up to the hype than letting down and seeing his stock fall as fast as it has risen.
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