Even before the Tennessee Titans selected quarterback Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, experts were drawing a comparison between he and Titans legend, Steve McNair.
When you look at Willis’ skill set, it’s easy to see why. Like McNair, the 22-year-old has elite athleticism and improvisational skills, and a big arm.
One expert who was making that comparison was FOX Sports’ Bucky Brooks, who also noted how Willis has superstar potential.
“Willis is a dynamic playmaker who has the talent and tools to be a superstar at the next level,” Brooks said. “When I look at his game, he can do it as a runner, he has big-time arm talent to push the ball down the field; more importantly he is an improvisational wizard on the perimeter. He makes plays in a way that reminds me a little bit of the way Josh Allen made plays early in his career with the Buffalo Bills. Yes, he’s not quite a finished product; he needs to work on his processing speed and his accuracy — but if it all clicks, we’re talking about a superstar. When I think about an NFL comparison for Willis, I’m going to go with the legend, Steve McNair. Much like Air McNair was able to dazzle, not only with his rugged playing style and his legs, he also had big-time arm talent, which allowed him to throw the ball over the top of defenses early and often. I believe Malik Willis has that kind of ability, and it’s one of the reasons why I expect him to be a star at the next level.”
.@LibertyFootball QB Malik Willis is finally off the board.
Check out your new QB, @Titans fans ⬇️
(Sponsored by @Verizon) pic.twitter.com/h9nDgroi9L
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) April 30, 2022
As Brooks notes, Willis will need time to develop, but he lands in the perfect situation in Nashville, where the Titans already have a starter locked in for 2022 in Ryan Tannehill.
We completely agree with everything Brooks said, especially the point about Willis’ seemingly unlimited ceiling. Now, it’s up to the Titans to unlock the mountain of promise the Liberty product has.
