LIberty QB Malik Willis could become the Man of Steelers
Malik Willis, center, talks with Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, left, and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin during Liberty football Pro Day in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Credit: AP/Kendall Warner
Malik Willis took the snap, dropped back in the pocket, moved to his right before being forced to spin away and go to his left, and then delivered the pass. With his receiver sprinting downfield on a deep post pattern, Willis’ high, arcing pass hit his man perfectly in stride: 65 yards. Touchdown.
Cheers went up as soon as the ball was caught, and Willis ran up to his receiver to offer congratulations with a wide smile and a chest bump.
No, this wasn’t an actual game for the 22-year-old quarterback, yet it may have been one of the most important passes he’d ever thrown. Willis delivered the pass at Liberty University’s pro day last month, and the “crowd” was made up of NFL scouts, coaches and administrators. The ones who will ultimately decide where he will be drafted Thursday night in Las Vegas on Day 1 of the three-day event.
Of all the prospects who will find out their NFL destinations this week, Willis might be the most intriguing.
His skill set is rare in today’s game; he has a brilliant arm, but at 6-foot, 219 pounds, his speed and power make him a fine runner, as well. And if you don’t think that combination can work in the NFL, then you haven’t seen Lamar Jackson.
Now the question is which team will have a conviction on Willis, the way the Ravens had with Jackson, the final pick in the first round of the 2018 draft and the NFL MVP in 2019. The boom-or-bust dynamic is sure to scare off some teams, but it’s almost guaranteed that someone will give him a shot.
Did someone say the Steelers?
Pittsburgh has closely scrutinized all the quarterbacks in their first draft after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. And Willis has gotten particular attention because of his unique capabilities. The Steelers pick 20th overall, but if they believe they need to go higher to keep Willis away from another team, then the Steelers might move up. The Panthers have also been mentioned, but with the sixth overall pick, Carolina may lean toward U. of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett or trade back and go with a different position.
Adding to the complexity of the equation is that many scouts believe next year’s class might have a bigger offering of quality quarterbacks.
“Truthfully, next year’s class is going to be stronger, and you’ve got to be honest with yourself and say, ‘Am I pushing a guy because I need one, or do I really like everything about this guy?'” said former Bucs general manager Mark Dominik, now an NFL analyst for SiriusXM Radio. “You saw [Willis] run around a lot last year at Liberty and create a lot of plays with his legs, yet he took a lot of sacks, too. I would say he’s been as good as you could ask in the past few months [during the predraft evaluation process]. Had a good combine, a good pro day, he’s worked with a lot of coaches.”
The fact that Willis played at Liberty and thus didn’t face some of the country’s elite defenses makes the calculation of his NFL ceiling that much more difficult. Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty after two seasons and played three years at Liberty, throwing for 2,857 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season and running for 878 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“You did see him in college take the ball down and take his time [while looking for a receiver],” Dominik said. “You have to trust your scouting.”
Dominik sees Willis as one of three quarterbacks who could go in the first round, with Pickett and Matt Corral of Ole Miss the others.
“With Pickett, you know what you’re going to get,” Dominik said. “He’s unbelievable in terms of his football love and his work ethic. Corral has a great arm and a lot of potential to continue to ascend as a player. I think he’s really grown up over his college career.”
The same can be said for Willis, who never even expected to be in this position after transferring from Auburn.
“I thought I was done,” he said. “I thought I was just going to go and have fun and play my last two or three years [at Liberty]. But I’m here now, so I’m happy.”
If it’s the Steelers who settle on Willis, there’s no questioning their scouting. GM Kevin Colbert, who will retire after the draft, is one of the league’s top talent evaluators. And he knows he’s in a challenging spot after Roethlisberger’s retirement.
“The quarterback is the most critical position in our sport,” he said. “We have to get it right. Could we add somebody? Yes. Could we start the season without adding anybody? Yes. We’ll see where it all goes.”
And we’ll see if Willis is their guy.
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
