Pittsburgh Steelers: 2022 NFL Draft First Round Targets

Malik Willis, QB, Liberty

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky this offseason and while he’s good to have as a bridge quarterback, I don’t think it will really have an effect on how the Steelers approach this draft. They still are in need of a long-term answer at the position, so they will still be trying to find that in this draft.

It’s no secret whatsoever that the Steelers really like Malik Willis and it’s for good reason. The question is just how much they’re willing to give up to get him because they would have to trade up in order to get him.

There’s a lot to like about Malik Willis. He has a very good arm as he can make basically any throw on the football field. In fact, according to PFF, 10.7% of his passes have been big time throws, which is the best in college football by a large margin.

Willis can also add an extra dimension as a runner as he is fast, elusive, and has good vision. This season he has recorded 90 missed tackles on 86 rush attempts.

The concern with Willis is that his competition level isn’t very high. However, we’ve seen many quarterbacks from smaller schools go very high in the draft such as Carson Wentz and Trey Lance, so that shouldn’t stop NFL teams from drafting him.

Now, in order for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get Willis they’ll likely have to trade up into the top five. This likely means they’d have to give up a future first rounder, so the question heading into the draft is just how much are they willing to give up in order to secure Willis?