Senior Bowl: 5 Fringe 1st Rounders Who Can Solidify Their Draft Status

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty    Height: 6’1    Weight: 215

2021 Season Stats: (13 games) 

61.1% completion percentage, 2857 passing yards

27 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions

878 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns

Best Performance: (@UAB)

68.4%, 287 passing yards, 144 rushing yards, 3 total touchdowns

Best Traits: Improvisation, Arm Strength, Athleticism

-Improvisation: Malik Willis did not have the luxury of playing behind a talented offensive line, which forced him to go off-script frequently. Due to countless collapsed pockets in Malik’s career, he developed a knack for making something out of nothing. Many plays on his tape would end in sacks for most other quarterbacks, but not for Willis. He is able to sense when pressure is coming and does well keeping his eyes downfield as he escapes the pocket. In the event that no one comes open, he is more than capable of picking up necessary yardage on the ground to move the chains.

-Athleticism: As a sophomore at Auburn University — prior to transferring to Liberty — Malik recorded a 4.37 40-yard dash. That speed jumps off the screen while watching him at work, as he routinely blazes by defenders after making them miss in open space. He is capable of breaking a game open on any given play with his ability to cut on a dime and change direction. Offensive coordinators and fantasy football managers alike will be counting on those spectacular plays.

-Arm Strength: It is easy to get lost in the athletic marvel that Malik WIllis is, but let’s not forget that he has the arm strength capable of throwing the ball to the moon. Okay, maybe not quite that much strength, but you get the point! Willis has throws on tape that cover 50 air yards and all of them look effortless. Velocity is not an issue either, as he consistently has enough zip on his throws to fit tight windows in coverage. Willis can make every throw necessary for being a quarterback in the NFL.

What to Improve: Decision-Making, Mechanics, Anticipation

-Decision-Making: Malik set a career high with 12 interceptions during the 2021 campaign. The most glaring stain on his resume is the November 6th showdown versus Ole Miss in Oxford. He struggled mightily, throwing three interceptions with each one being worst than the last. Willis locked in on his targets and gave defenders the opportunity to read his eyes to jump passing lanes. It is worth mentioning that there isn’t another NFL player on the Liberty roster, but that fact alone does not excuse all the mental lapses. He must improve or the smarter, savvier defensive backs will make him pay every time.

-Mechanics: The mental processing aspect is not the only part of his game that needs cleaned up. Footwork is a major red flag. Some of the blame falls on the porous offensive line, but even with a clean pocket Willis has a bad habit of getting “happy feet”. He is brilliant at escaping the pocket but has some work to do maneuvering inside of it. A number of times, he could have avoided pressure by stepping up in the pocket. It is important for Malik to show consistent mechanics while playing with adequate talent in Mobile.

-Anticipation: What do I mean by anticipation? Some quarterbacks have a natural ability to throw their receivers open by hitting them directly out of their break. This allows the pass catchers to gain more yards after bringing in the throw, in turn making the quarterbacks job easier. Malik struggles with this area, at times. He has plenty of plays where he puts the ball in the bread basket, but there are a handful of passes with horrible ball placement. NFL speed is a completely different beast than college speed, so Willis will have to get that timing down to maximize his franchise quarterback potential.

NFL Ceiling: Kyler Murray