Let me address the elephant in the room before I dive into this post. Yes, prior to the 2022 NFL Draft, I have said publicly that I was apprehensive about the Tennessee Titans potentially drafting Malik Willis because I didn’t have faith that they would get the most out of his skill set. Two things – one, that was said under the premise that the Titans would have to trade up to get him in the first round, and I wasn’t a fan of doing that with a Super Bowl window that is still open and needs elsewhere. Getting the Liberty quarterback in the third round, at pick #86, was incredible value that none of us thought possible. Two, I simply thought about it more and concluded that that was a rash thought. The Titans brought in Tim Kelly to serve as passing game coordinator. That man has a great track record with Deshaun Watson and Davis Mills. And, Ryan Tannehill was able to turn his career around in this offense. So, there is actually reason to believe that they can get it right. Plus, just imagine a back field with Derrick Henry and Willis in it. You can call me out for changing my tune and I will gladly take my online ass-beating…because within its context, I love the pick.
The general consensus on Willis seems to be that he has the physical traits to be special, but needs a lot of work. What does that really mean, though? Let’s dive into his game in a little more detail. Here’s what I wrote for my blurb about him on my 2022 big board: “Willis has the most explosive traits of any quarterback in this class, but he’s put some real head-scratchers on tape too. If he was more consistent in that regard, we’d be talking about him being a top five pick.“
So, let’s start with the head-scratchers and the inconsistencies. I’m a “bad news first” kind of guy, so we’ll take it from there. And, the frustrating thing about Willis’ tape is that you do see good examples of the things I’ll mention…you just don’t see ’em all the time. His deep ball accuracy can be spotty – there are times when he throws beautiful dimes 60 yards down the field, and you’re thinking “holy shit – did that just happen?” But, there are also times when he overthrows guys who are wide open down the field. You see lapses in anticipation at times, and I think that’s where the “needs to learn to throw with touch” criticisms come from, even though he has plenty of examples of touch throws on his tape. So, how do you iron that out and get the splash plays on a more consistent basis? That’s the question that quarterbacks coach Pat O’Hara and company will have to sort out.
Now, when analysts talk about how Willis needs to get better at “scanning defenses,” I look at it and think, “nah, someone needs to just teach this guy how to mechanically stay calm under duress.” That playbook at Liberty was something else. I don’t know how much of it was called “one read, then go,” but there were times when Willis seemed to scramble around the moment his first read was taken away. I noticed several times that he would drift out of the pocket sometimes, and when the protection wasn’t good enough, it led to a sense of panic. I don’t think it’s as much of a football IQ issue as it is a protection issue and getting him to sort of calm down when things break down. It’s hard to really read a defense and go through your progressions when your offensive tackles are being thrown through the air and at your feet by defensive ends. To me, I’m much more concerned with ironing out the deep ball accuracy and getting consistency on touch/anticipation throws.
Now, as for what Willis does well – it’s easy to see how pure his talent is when you watch him. His arm is incredible – he is absolutely capable of making every throw in the book. He is the real life Michael-Vick-throwing-the-ball-out-of-the-stadium clip. He does show flashes of good placement and good touch, so we know that’s in him. Like I said, I think his football IQ is being a bit underrated – he’s shown good situational awareness. Against North Texas, he identified and took advantage of free plays caused by penalties on the defense. That kind of ability is there. Then, there’s the dynamic rushing ability. Willis is so incredibly strong and twitchy in the open field that it makes him a nightmare to tackle. But, his scrambling ability and the respect defenses have for it also enable him to buy time for his receivers to get open down the field. He has some real freak athletic plays on tape (this man has a 20-yard shovel pass on tape, ffs), and has made some breathtaking throws. If you only saw those flashes of him, and none of the inconsistencies, man…this guy would’ve been a top five pick and considered a generational talent at quarterback.
With Willis, it’s easy to see why you have to do a lot of projecting with him. The talent around him at Liberty was not the same kind of talent you see in the SEC. I’m trying to be nice….but damn….that offensive line had him fighting for his life. Part of the evaluation has to account for that. You do have to kind of look at what could be with a prospect like Willis more so than looking at what is. But, the more I think about it, the more I think Nashville is the perfect landing spot for Willis. This team’s culture is one of its strong suits, and that’s largely due to the tone set by head coach and reigning Coach of the Year, Mike Vrabel. But, also, I think this staff, with the addition of Kelly, is capable of getting the most out of Willis. Perhaps most importantly, he’ll (hopefully) have time to develop and gain experience before he’s needed to be “the guy.” He fits what the Titans look for in a player – physical, tough to tackle, team-first, etc. If all goes according to plan, this guy could turn into a superstar in this situation.
For now, don’t worry about the work to be done. Just enjoy the highlights, and hope that when the day comes that Malik Willis sees the field as a Titan, this is what we get:
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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