Quarterback Malik Willis showed at his pro day why he’s a great option for the Panthers
.JPG "Liberty quarterback Malik Willis throws during the school’s pro football day for NFL scouts and coaches, Tuesday, March 22, 2022, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP Photo/Kendall Warner)")
There’s a lot to like about quarterback Malik Willis.
He’s humble. He has a sense of humor. He’s giving. (Willis was seen giving clothes to someone on the street in Indianapolis at the NFL combine.)
He’s shown all of that over the past month.
But what Willis showed Tuesday at Liberty’s pro day is why the Panthers will take a hard look at him in April’s draft. Willis didn’t participate in the lifting portion of the event or run the 40-yard dash, joking that he’d probably run a 4.3 if he had.
Instead, he stuck to throwing drills where he completed 64 of 69 passes, including one pass where he scrambled around in the pocket and threw a deep ball that traveled 65 yards in the air.
It was reminiscent of Zach Wilson and Trey Lance’s pro days last year, which helped both quarterbacks skyrocket on the draft boards in the 2021 draft.
What’s clear about Willis is that he doesn’t lack arm strength or accuracy. Nor confidence. Of his five incomplete passes, only two were overthrown. The other three were dropped. A few were slightly behind the receivers but were all catchable balls.
“With Malik, I think the thing everybody wanted to see is just touch on the ball,” ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid told The Observer, “and you saw he’s lofting the ball down the field, dropping it in the basket to some of these receivers.
“Everybody knows he can put zip on the ball, everybody knows he has a very strong arm, but the touch, just talking to scouts, they are really impressed by that.”
One NFC scout, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak, told The Observer that Willis’ pro day was impressive and called him a ‘talent.’
“I’d take a chance on him,” the scout said. “You take a chance on talent.”
The general consensus among scouts and draft experts is that while Pitts’ Kenny Pickett is the most pro-ready quarterback today, Willis has the most upside.
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The Panthers will strongly consider drafting Willis. Whether they’d consider taking him with the sixth overall pick or later in a trade-back scenario, that’s still to be determined.
Even though there are reports that have indicated that the Panthers have had preliminary talks with the Browns about a potential trade for Baker Mayfield, a source said Tuesday that the Panthers are not pursuing him at this time.
The Panthers have also had talks with the 49ers about Jimmy Garropolo, but his $26.9 million cap number is not favorable, nor has he been able to stay healthy. He’s coming off shoulder surgery and the 49ers are also looking for two second-round picks in exchange for Garropolo.
As the search continues for a franchise quarterback, Carolina has shifted its focus to the current draft prospects. The Panthers sent a contingent of personnel to Kenny Pickett’s pro day on Monday in Pittsburgh, and again to Willis’ Tuesday.
Among the Panthers’ staff in Lynchburg were head coach Matt Rhule, general manager Scott Fitterer, assistant general manager Dan Morgan, senior advisor to owner Steven Drummond and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.
In all, there were 60 NFL personnel representing at least 31 NFL teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers, though, were the only other team to have their head coach, Mike Tomlin, there.
The Steelers have the 20th pick in the draft.
Last night, Willis said he had dinner with Tomlin. The two had chicken wings, and Willis said he was shocked that Tomlin was a “normal dude.”
“Eating his chicken wings over here, I was like ‘Mike Tomlin eats chicken wings,’ ” Willis said. “I felt that was cool, too.
“I got to chop it up with a lot of people. That’s a blessing in itself just these high-profile guys want to talk to me and be there to watch me and my teammates do what we do.”
The Panthers’ top two priorities’ this offseason remain to solve the offensive line and find their next quarterback. They signed center Bradley Bozeman and guard Austin Corbett to go with Taylor Moton and Brady Christensen, who will play either left guard or left tackle.
Starting quarterback is still open, and while the Panthers have Sam Darnold on a $18.9 million fifth-year option next season, he’s not expected to be the starter.
Willis, 22, who played quarterback at Liberty for two seasons after transferring from Auburn, was one of the top quarterbacks in the country in 2021. The Atlanta native passed for 27 touchdowns, threw 12 interceptions and ran for 13 touchdowns.
On Tuesday, though, it was also about his arm. He went through a 70-play script, under the watchful of his two quarterback coaches, Sean McEnvoy and Quincy Avery. He made a variety of throws in different situations.
Each time he made a big throw, the crowd “oo’d” and “aw’d” in excitement.
After his 65-yard throw, he ran down the field and celebrated with his teammates.
When asked what did he think he’d proved on Tuesday, Willis said he wasn’t sure.
“I don’t know,” he said. “They’re picking. I’m just out here working. I feel like it’s not my place to say where I should and where I shouldn’t go. But I can have a feeling of where I think I should be. That’s just the confidence in my ability.
“I just work every day and try to be the best me I can be.”
The Panthers view Willis, Pickett and Matt Corral as the top three quarterbacks in this draft — in no particular order. They’ll attend Corral’s pro day on Wednesday.
But if they end up drafting one and choosing Willis, he doesn’t appear to be a bad option.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Quarterback Malik Willis showed at his pro day why he’s a great option for the Panthers."
