Vikings Select Liberty QB Malik Willis at No. 12 in New 2022 NFL Mock Draft From PFF
As we approach the beginning of the NFL scouting combine this week in Indianapolis, the vast majority of the new mock drafts that pop up every day have the Vikings taking a cornerback or edge rusher with the No. 12 overall pick. Given the importance of those positions and the Vikings' clear need to add at both spots, it makes sense. I've already analyzed several potential fits at CB and EDGE for the Vikings, and there will be plenty more of that to come in the next two months.
But that general consensus makes it more fun and noteworthy when you see a mock in which the Vikings go in a completely different direction.
That's the case in this new mock from Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus. With a preface that his picks are based on what he would do, not what he predicts the teams will do, Palazzolo has the Vikings selecting Liberty quarterback Malik Willis at 12.
It's a slight reach, considering Willis ranks 22nd on PFF's current big board, but it would give the Vikings the QB with the highest upside of any passer in this draft class. Importantly, Palazzolo says he made this pick with the intent of letting Willis sit and learn for the final year of Kirk Cousins' contract.
With a quarterback class filled with question marks, I’m looking for teams who can approach the position with patience and a long-term mindset. The Vikings have a new regime and quarterback Kirk Cousins under contract for one more year, making this a good spot for Willis to develop. He has an outstanding arm and plus rushing ability. An offense can be crafted to take advantage of both while mitigating Willis’ accuracy concerns.
Also worth noting: Derek Stingley, Sauce Gardner, Trent McDuffie, and George Karlaftis were all off the board before 12 in this mock, in addition to the usual players mocked in the top five. That leaves the Vikings choosing between an EDGE like Jermaine Johnson, a CB like Andrew Booth Jr. or Roger McCreary, a wide receiver, a linebacker, or an interior offensive lineman.
Or a quarterback.
The sentiment you'll continue to hear over and over heading into this draft is that it's a weak quarterback class. And while that's true, it doesn't mean all six of the top QB prospects — Willis, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, Carson Strong, Desmond Ridder, and Matt Corral — are going to be bad in the NFL. Statistically, the odds are pretty good that at least one develops into a starting-caliber player or better.
As I mentioned earlier, no member of that group has more physical upside than Willis. The former Liberty QB threw 47 touchdowns and 18 picks over the past two seasons, adding 27 touchdowns and over 1,800 yards on the ground. He has a rocket arm and is highly athletic, giving him the potential to become a Pro Bowl-caliber QB if he lands in the right environment and develops effectively. There are concerns about his accuracy and decision-making — and the Liberty offense didn't help him out a ton — but the upside is real.
For the Vikings and their new leadership duo of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O'Connell, would taking Willis be worth a shot? I'd argue that it would be, if they come away from the combine and pre-draft process believing in him as a player.
Obviously, if Cousins is extended this offseason, the Vikings aren't drafting a QB. But letting Willis come in and sit for a year while Cousins plays out the final year of his deal could be an appealing option for Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell. Willis could learn a lot from Cousins, who thrives in some of the areas Willis struggles in.
In the best-case scenario, Willis takes over in 2023 and becomes an elite franchise QB on a rookie contract. In the worst-case scenario, he flops and the Vikings have to start over. But there's also an in-between where Willis becomes a solid QB who at least doesn't cost the Vikings nearly as much as Cousins does.
It wouldn't be a pick that would help the Vikings win in 2022, but taking Willis would be taking a swing for the fences on a guy with the tools to become a star in the NFL.
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