NFL Draft: Malik Willis Shines at Liberty Pro Day
The big question of the 2022 NFL Draft is: Who will be the first quarterback selected? With top quarterbacks throwing at their pro days this week, that question is starting to get answered. Malik Willis threw at his Pro Day Tuesday, and to say he impressed would be an understatement.
It's well-known that Willis has a cannon for an arm, and he showed that off again, tossing several passes that made television broadcasters and his teammates in attendance go crazy. His ability to push the ball down the field appears effortless with the velocity he can put on the ball to all levels of the field. He proved that he can drive the ball to the boundary with strong velocity and accuracy while on the move and off-platform. The same can be said for when he threw the deep ball.
While there were some incredible moments for Willis at his Pro Day, some moments showed things to be concerned about. The main one is the consistent pat of the ball he does with his off-hand. It might be something that seems slight, but defenders will pick up on this quickly if he can't work it out of his game. It will allow them to stay a beat ahead of the play and could be the difference between a completion or a pick-six. Early on in the workout, there were passes that were behind receivers or very low where the receiver had to make a shoestring catch. Not every throw is expected to be perfect, but it's something worth noting in this workout.
Willis looked a bit stiff and may have been a tad nervous early in the workout, but after his coach pulled him aside to talk with him, he calmed down and lit it up. He showed a ton of emotion and seemed to feed off of the applause he was getting from the crowd. Once he completely settled in, he made nearly every throw, whether dropping straight back, rolling out, or throwing off-platform. His footwork is impeccable, giving a nice straight drop-back, keeping his eyes downfield, then giving a good angled step to get him lined up to make a throw to the boundary. These subtleties become a huge factor in accuracy and the ability to drive the ball with good velocity. Many of his snaps in college were from the shotgun, but Monday he showed that he is comfortable with his footwork and mechanics from under center.
With every team in attendance for the Liberty Pro Day, Willis could hear his name called at any point in the first round of the draft. He has been mocked from pick nine to the Seahawks to pick 20 to the Steelers. A team outside of the top 15 will likely need to trade up to get Willis if they're confident in his skillset, but no matter where he's drafted, his best option will be to sit for some time to learn and get acclimated to the NFL level, and Willis himself is aware of that.
ESPN's Jordan Reid on Twitter said, "Thought he threw the ball really well. Everyone knew that he had plenty of velocity behind his throws, but I was most impressed with his touch in all areas of the field."
With quarterback rankings all over the place regarding where these prospects are ranked, Willis is getting the love from scouts and media that has many thinking he won't make it out of the top 10 when the draft rolls around. That might be a bit rich for some. He certainly has all the tools, the right mindset and attitude looked for in a first-round pick and potential franchise quarterback.
