Howdy, Washington Football Team fans. Well, sort of? Happy future new named Washington fans! That sounds better.
We are back today with our third installment of a brand new series titled “Why Washington should draft (enter 2022 NFL Draft QB Prospects name)”, I really wish we had a better name for these articles but I digress. I’m not creative enough for that!
With our first two pieces in this series, we tackled two second-round prospects that Washington fans and likely the Football Team themselves will do their homework on heading into the 2022 pre-draft process. We began with Nevada’s Carson Strong, your prototypical pocket passer with a big-time arm.
In our second piece, we touched on your modern NFL quarterback archetype in Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder. A big-time athlete with an NFL-caliber arm, Ridder is as experienced and a proven leader at the collegiate level.
Today, we’re tackling my favorite quarterback prospect in the class, so before you read this, I’ll “discount” myself by letting you know that I am one of the lone believers in Malik Willis’s potential as a first-round prospect.
That being said, Willis has a very long way to go. If Washington were to draft the former Liberty signal-caller, I’d imagine they take a developmental route similar to what the San Francisco 49ers are doing with Trey Lance, or if they add a strong veteran, potentially, the Packers with Jordan Love.
Nonetheless, Malik Willis is the real deal as a prospect that projects to have the highest ceiling in the class. As an athlete, Willis is by far the best in this class and would arguably be one of the best athletic talents in the NFL from the moment he laces up a pair of cleats.
As an arm talent, Willis has a rifle for an arm that can make every throw in the book at every level in the passing game. From tight-window throws in the red zone, to throws on the run down the field, to throwing darts from the opposite side of the field, there is not a throw that Willis can’t make.
He is much more of a prospect than a day-one starter at this point, but with real Pro-Bowl upside and a work ethic that’s been proven at the collegiate level, here’s why Washington should draft Malik Willis.
Why Washington should draft Malik Willis
When it comes to tools, no quarterback in the class has the better set than Liberty’s Malik Willis. Think about your favorite toolbox, but it has a cooler in it, a 50 inch TV that pops out behind it, and an automatic nacho maker that never lets the cheese get cold and your chips never get stale. Pretty gnarly.
Seriously though, Malik Willis from a tools perspective is what intrigues NFL Draft minds from across the globe. Arm strength, leadership, pre-snap IQ, athleticism, tight-window throws, off-script plays, working within the structure of an offense, Willis shows high level flashes of being one of the next big things at the quarterback position.
As of right now, it is much more flashes than it is consistent efforts, for what it is worth. That’s not to say that he is either a 60-yard strike or a fumble, but rather he flashes high levels of upside for stretches of games that you ultimately hope can become the norm at the next level with proper development and coaching, in addition to a scheme that fits him.
Washington is that scheme that not only fits, but Scott Turner’s offense is very QB-friendly for a player like Malik Willis.
Running a variation of the Air Coryell offense, Washington has needed a quarterback that can stretch a defense out vertically, specifically at the intermediate and deep levels of the passing game. As an intermediate passer, Willis has a lot of room to grow, but he’s shown the ability to string together throws at that level throughout his collegiate career.
For example, Willis struggles on throws to the right side of the intermediate passing game. But, on throws from 10-19 yards to either the center or the left side of the field, Willis completed over 50% of his throws, scoring four touchdowns through the air, two big-time throws which gave him a Pro Football Focus grade of 74.5 on throws to these specific areas of the field.
As a deep-ball thrower, Willis is one of the best in the class while also being consistent at that level. On throws of 20+ yards, Malik Willis was given a grade of 96.6 from Pro Football Focus as he completed over 43% of his throws on attempts at that passing depth, with 33 big-time throws to just 6 turnover-worthy plays.
The intermediate and deep levels of the passing game must become the identity of a Washington passing offense that needs a quarterback with some juice. Turner likes to move the pocket around, and Willis has shown to thrive and get into a rhythm early within specific schematic structures, as Liberty’s offense often tried to get the pocket moving to put Malik in positions to throw darts across the field.
The athletic aspect is another thing that Washington has been on record mentioning that they need from their quarterback. Well, in Malik Willis, you have the best athlete in the class, both from a speed and physicality perspective, Willis can pack a punch or roam freely like a gazelle in the open field.
He’s the best dual-threat prospect in this class, with true elite-level athletic ability that can be used from day-one. He can run every modern concept that you need from your starting QB, but it will take some time.
Though Washington will need to be patient and let Malik develop behind a veteran, Washington can get their future quarterback some early run in sub-packages offensively that fit Willis’s skillset. Whether it be in the red-zone on designed quarterback keepers, quick RPO’s, Willis is capable of filling a role similar to a Trey Lance in year-one, or like the Raiders with Marcus Mariota.
Though if Washington had their backs against the wall and was in need of starting him, I’d imagine they would go about his development similar to a guy like Josh Allen in Buffalo. Very simplified, basic offensive concepts and plays, but a bit heavier on the designed QB keepers than what we saw from Allen early in his career.
Washington should draft Malik Willis if they’re willing to be patient and take a bet on the highest upside QB prospect in the class. Willis has a variety of tools that make modern NFL minds drool. Athleticism, arm strength, leadership, smart, quick processor, you name it. But right now, there’s more flash than consistent substance and that will take time.
There’s also a chance that he’s an utter miss. I’d bet that Willis pans out in the NFL, as he seems to have a stellar work ethic combined with consistent growth that’s evident at the collegiate level while possessing next-level tools that translate well in the big league. But, there is a chance that someone with a floor this low, could not succeed at the NFL level.
In my opinion, he’ll be worth the wait in the NFL, and fits a Washington offense that not only needs someone that can stretch the field at the two deeper levels of the passing game, but he’s everything they’re looking for from a long-term signal-caller. There’s a lot to like with Malik Willis, but it will take time. If Washington has a plan in place with a veteran that can start over him in 2022, Washington should be all-systems go on selecting a prospect with the level of tools that do not come by very often, in Liberty’s Malik Willis.