Malik Willis NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Tennessee Titans' QB

HEIGHT: 6'0 1/2"
WEIGHT: 219
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 31 3/4"
WINGSPAN: 6'5 3/8"

40-YARD DASH: DNP
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: DNP
BROAD: DNP

POSITIVES

— Very good athlete with burst and quickness. A valid weapon on designed QB runs and when he tucks the ball to run. Consistently makes defenders miss with the ball in his hands.

— Very good arm strength that can drive on intermediate throws. Can attack all parts of the field with his arm, and throws a catchable deep ball.

— Good build for the position. Has the play strength to run out of arm tackles in the pocket and down the field.

— Competitive and tough player who is willing to take a hit. Has no problem running the ball throughout a game. Teammates feed off his energy.

— Can make plays happen out of structure. Able to throw off-platform and adjust his arm and body for throws.

NEGATIVES

— Inconsistent on his timing and anticipation. Has to see receivers come open, and prefers throwing routes on the outside.

— Erratic pocket movement, which can make bad plays worse. Works back in the pocket too often, which will be punished at the NFL level.

— Played in an elementary passing attack built of run-pass options and three-man route concepts.

2021 STATISTICS

13 G, 207-339 (61.1%), 2,857 YDS (8.4 Y/A), 27 TD, 12 INT, 151.1 RATING, 197 ATT, 878 YDS (4.5 AVG), 13 TD

NOTES

— Transferred from Auburn.

OVERALL

Willis is an athletic and tough quarterback who can create plays out of structure with his legs and arm. He has average height but a good build and has no qualms about taking repeated hits throughout a game. He's a major weapon on designed quarterback runs.

When Willis is in rhythm, his arm strength pops off the screen. He throws a catchable deep ball and can drive intermediate throws into tight spaces. When he's able to anticipate throws—usually on the outside or on RPOs—he flashes good accuracy. Willis is able to easily break a defense’s contain with his agility and burst, and he has the ability to flip his hips and change arm angles when throwing on the move while also remaining accurate.

However, Willis’ process is inconsistent. He lacks a plan on a good chunk of his plays and appears to be guessing on which routes come open. Willis will seemingly be all-in on a singular route on a play and ends up going coast to coast with his eyes way too often. He will wait for a receiver to pop open instead of showing true understanding of the concept being run. He will look to scramble too quickly on other plays where he’s going one-and-done with his reads as well.

Willis' athleticism is a huge plus since he can make defenders miss in space, but it’s hard to make a living in the NFL with just your legs. His pocket movement is exaggerated, and he works backward in the pocket, which will lead to a lot of sacks in the NFL with more athletic defenders looping.

Overall, Willis is more of a toolsy player than a viable starting NFL quarterback at this point in time. He will be a big project for whichever NFL team selects him—albeit a fun project. He played in a simple offense in college, so he'll be facing a huge jump in complexity of not only the offense he plays in but the defenses he will be facing. And his lack of anticipation and consistency even on simpler route concepts is worrisome.

Willis is a fun player to watch with his arm strength, and he's truly dynamic with the ball in his hands. But he will need a huge jump in polish with his pocket movements, progression on dropback concepts, anticipation on throws—especially over the middle of the field—and overall process to end up being an every-week starter in the NFL.

GRADE: 7.6 (Potential Impact Player - 2nd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 48

POSITION RANK: QB2

PRO COMPARISON: Tyrod Taylor

Written by B/R NFL Scout Nate Tice