Could Malik Willis’ eye-opening Senior Bowl be bad news for Commanders?

Just like that, the Senior Bowl is over.

The thrilling week of practice was capped with an equally-engaging game Saturday afternoon at Hancock Whitney Stadium that saw multiple college stars, including MVP Perrion Winfrey out of Oklahoma, do wonders for their draft stock.

There was too many standouts to count, but perhaps the biggest winner from the week-long event was Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, who wowed viewers with his cannon of a right arm and ability to elude pass-rushers.

Where Willis really impressed, though, was with his accuracy in the muddy weather conditions and decision-making in the pocket. While the young QB had some wonky moments, the latest round of mock drafts suggest his stock as skyrocketed.

Before this week’s showcase, multiple mocks had the Washington Commanders nabbing the Liberty product with the No. 11 overall pick.

Is it possible Willis played himself inside the top-10 at the Senior Bowl? ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid seems to think so. In his latest two-round mock (subscription required), Reid had Willis going No. 6 overall to the Carolina Panthers.

Did Malik Willis play himself out of the Commanders’ reach at the 2022 Senior Bowl?

It’s worth noting that Reid had the Commanders taking Kenny Pickett at No. 11. Not a bad consolation prize by any means. The Pittsburgh standout is widely said to be the lone QB in this year’s class who could step in and start as a rookie.

However, if Washington is as high on Willis as reports indicate, his eye-opening Senior Bowl could potentially be bad news if it catapults him into the top-10.

Would the Panthers be crazy to draft him with the sixth pick? Probably, especially considering there is a shipment of potential future Pro Bowlers expected to come off the board in that range.

However, the Senior Bowl only accentuated Willis’ massive upside and Reid’s mock draft should at least get people talking of whether he played himself out of the Commanders’ reach at No. 11 overall.

Let’s say Washington makes some calls leading up to the draft and they discover a team ahead of them has zeroed in on Willis. If that team turns out to be the Panthers, that means they’d have to leapfrog FIVE teams to get one spot ahead of Carolina. A trade of that magnitude would cost at least two first-rounders.

At that point, would it be worth it? Fans typically get behind the idea that their team should do whatever it takes to get “your guy” if they love him that much, but Willis was a second-round prospect before the Senior Bowl.

You could point to the 49ers’ blockbuster trade to move up nine picks to draft Trey Lance third overall last year, but that’s not an apples to apples comparison. Was it a gamble? Yes, but Lance didn’t have nearly as many concerns as Willis.

Maybe we’re overreacting.

However, if Willis turned as many heads as his Senior Bowl reviews seem to suggest, you have to think he got Washington’s attention. That could pose problems if Willis’ stock continues to rise between now and draft night.

Who knows? By the time the 11th pick rolls around, Willis could taken.