Washington Football Team: 3 takeaways from Matt Corral-Malik Willis weekend showdown
By Jerry Trotta
2. Malik Willis probably shouldn’t start right away
From a traits perspective, it’s easy to see why so many scouts think highly of Willis’ future at the professional level. At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds with elite arm talent and game-breaking speed, he’s everything you could want in a quarterback prospect for the modern day NFL.
Having said that, Saturday indicated Willis has a long ways to go before he’s ready to start in the league. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though Washington would surely want whomever they draft to start from Day 1.
Let’s say he’s taken with a top-five pick. Do you really want a repeat of Zach Wilson’s start with the Jets? The No. 2 overall pick was nowhere near ready to start. Alas, he was thrown to the wolves and fans are now all aboard the Mike White bandwagon and questioning whether Wilson was the right pick.
That would be a disaster. Should Washington draft Willis, they should probably have a veteran in the QB room to mentor the Liberty star … kind of like how the 49ers held onto Jimmy Garoppolo until they hand the reins over to Trey Lance.
Lance is probably our best comparison for Willis. Like the 49ers signal-caller, Willis’ eye-popping athleticism and overall upside might see him taken within the first handful of selections.
However, that doesn’t mean he should be a Day 1 starter, because Saturday proved Willis has a lot of developing to do with regards to decision-making and reading opposing defenses.