2022 NFL Draft: 5 quarterbacks to watch this college season
By Kyle Edmond
2022 NFL Draft Prospect: Malik Willis, Liberty
One of the more under-the-radar quarterbacks of the upcoming draft class might be Malik Willis. Under-the-radar is rather relative though. After transferring from Auburn to Liberty, he quickly became one of the country’s best dual-threat quarterbacks during the 2020 season.
After playing in just 12 games with Auburn over two seasons, it only took 10 at Liberty for Willis to put his name in the first round conversation for the 2022 NFL Draft. What played a big role in that was his ability on the ground in addition to his arm talent.
Through the air, Willis posted a respectable 2,250 passing yards on 265 attempts while throwing 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions. However, on the ground he nearly broke 1,000 yards rushing at 944 while adding another 14 touchdowns to his stat line. That brings his touchdown total to 34, the same amount as Rattler during the 2020 season.
If Willis can continue to put up stats like that in 2021 he should easily be in the first round conversation. His skill set is a bit similar to that of Lamar Jackson or Jalen Hurts, so if he can show that 2020 wasn’t a fluke he could draw a lot of interest in the coming year.