The High Ceiling/Low Floor QB prospect that is probably our best option in the draft: Malik Willis(And some Sam Howell) (3 Viewers)

[Taker597]

Glad we had scouts there, really hoping we take a shot on one of the Qb’s.
Didn’t watch the game but Malik’s stats were terrible. Corral stats were better. He’s one to watch too.

Matt Corral has SEC talent supporting him. Malik had nobodies. Gotta watch the game before making assumptions.

I thought they both played well. Matt Corral was clearly better, but we won't be able to draft him.

Malik gotta a lot to improve as a passer. I'd love to pick him up in the 2nd to replace an aging Taysom. The dude gots crazy potential with his legs and hopefully can keep developing.

Really solid game, but Malik had no pass catching play makers or protection to let him get comfortable. WR where blanketed and couldn't win match ups or fight for for the ball. 2 of the picks shouldn't have happened.

His 2nd half was good for the most part. Cleaned up mistakes and produce some magic plays.

I personally like to see what our coaching staff can develop him into...

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

Matt Corral has SEC talent supporting him. Malik had nobodies. Gotta watch the game before making assumptions.

I thought they both played well. Matt Corral was clearly better, but we won't be able to draft him.

Malik gotta a lot to improve as a passer. I'd love to pick him up in the 2nd to replace an aging Taysom. The dude gots crazy potential with his legs and hopefully can keep developing.

Really solid game, but Malik had no pass catching play makers or protection to let him get comfortable. WR where blanketed and couldn't win match ups or fight for for the ball. 2 of the picks shouldn't have happened.

His 2nd half was good for the most part. Cleaned up mistakes and produce some magic plays.

I personally like to see what our coaching staff can develop him into...

Oh I agree, and that’s why I qualified with didn’t watch. Stats don’t always tell the whole story. I’d love for the Saints to grab Willis, or any of the top ranked QB’s in this draft, even tho it’s said to be one of the worst in a long time.

I’d love WR in round one QB round two.

 

[J.T.]

We have a kid on the roster that put up 72 Td's to 20 Int's , 8948 passing yards at 63.8 % comp rate , 147 OBR . Oh and 1517 rushing yards and 17 TD 's on the ground !! Oh yea the winningest QB In Notre Dame history . Ian Book ....

Stats mean nothing. Book is a career back up.

With our Defense, a "career backup" might be enough. It's sad, but the team will probably look like the old Dome Patrol team for the next few years. A great Defense and a barely average Offense. It's VERY difficult to have both great at the same time.

 

[Saint Taysom]

I like Kenny Pickett

 

[Taker597]

With our Defense, a "career backup" might be enough. It's sad, but the team will probably look like the old Dome Patrol team for the next few years. A great Defense and a barely average Offense. It's VERY difficult to have both great at the same time.

NFL is different now. You really can't get by with a big glaring weakness anymore. NFL is just too smart. You need atleast good.

Just like Jared Goff and Jimmy G in the Superbowl. You can't get by with that glaring hole. Broncos was able to do it, but that was a historic defense. Are we at that level? Atm... Clearly no. We aren't in a Nick Foles Situation either. They was able to cook up a whole playbook for Foles and not have too much film on him. Trevor or Hill gotta play 10 games or a whole season of book.

It boil downs to you either get the best that you can or you keep drafting guys till you find him. This year is a bit different. Taysom is getting old with concussion issues. Winston coming off an ACL TEAR.

So, it's a tricky situation. I think you really got to bring another guy in somehow. Bring in Willis with the soft expectation of being our next Hill is a solid move. We may get lucky and turn him into a starter QB. I don't know if he will, but NFL level talent is there.

 

[Taker597]

I like Kenny Pickett

Honestly... You don't need him unless you cut Ian Book. He doesn't really provide much over him to be honest.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

Hopefully we go WR in the first round and we can trade up into the early 2nd for Willis

 

[GQ Gemini]

At this point, I almost believe its a given that we will draft A great to solid O line or oft injured DE in the 1st rd....

 

[GilFinnerty]

There’s going to be some steals at QB because of circumstances.

Sam Howell is going to be one of them who was a Heisman top 3 going into this season but lost every starting receiver from a year ago so his stock has dropped.

Of course Matt Corral will end up a top 5 pick if he continues to produce and has a good pro day.

Kenny Pickett will be a solid pro and very productive in the right system

Desmond Ridder has all the tools to be very good in the pros but he’ll take a couple years

It’s refreshing to see the Saints made a run at Wilson, that will happen again this off season

Pickett is the best QB in this class and its not even close imo. He will be the first off fhe board. Ridder is a possibilty the best traits guy in rhe draft but it hasent been consistent on film and can maybe be had late 2nd early 3rd but is a guy like that a better prospect then Book. Malik has raw mechanics but plays under control.

 

[CowtownSaint]

Let's start this off on the demographic breakdown/background

• Position: Dual Threat Quarterback
• School: Liberty
• Current Year: Redshirt Senior
• Height: 6’1″
• Weight: 215 pounds
• age: 22
• His uncle, James Anderson, played for 11 seasons in the NFL and was a third round draft pick in 2006
• His private quarterback coaches -- Quincy Avery and McEvoy
• Completed his bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies in May 2021
• 40 yard Projected - 4.40 - 4.50 Range

Stats

Year	School	Conf	Class	piece of work	G	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	AY/A	TD	Int	Rate
*2017	Auburn	SEC	FR	QB	7	6	7	85.7	45	6.4	9.3	1	0	186.9
*2018	Auburn	SEC	SO	QB	5	5	7	71.4	24	3.4	3.4	0	0	100.2
*2020	Liberty	Ind	JR	QB	10	170	265	64.2	2250	8.5	9.0	20	6	155.8
2021	Liberty	Ind	JR	QB	9	140	210	66.7	1986	9.5	10.2	21	6	173.4

Rushing & Receiving​

​

		Rushing	Receiving	Scrimmage
Year	School	Conf	Class	piece of work	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	TD	Plays	Yds	Avg	TD
*2017	Auburn	SEC	FR	QB	7	16	221	13.8	1	0	0		0	16	221	13.8	1
*2018	Auburn	SEC	SO	QB	5	12	88	7.3	1	0	0		0	12	88	7.3	1
*2020	Liberty	Ind	JR	QB	10	141	944	6.7	14	0	0		0	141	944	6.7	14
2021	Liberty	Ind	JR	QB	9	126	684	5.4	9	1	13	13.0	0	127	697

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Interviews and non-highlight videos





Evaluation from 2020 season



Actual 2021 game footage





I won't be posting highlight videos, because that's not the point. Just some whole game videos.

Overall Conclusion

I generally have a list of QB prospects, but this year is really weak. It's really Matt Corral and Willis for me personally. That's it. Matt corral won't be attainable. Willis is, but that brings us to the next discussion.

After watching his interview, 2020 evaluation and how he improved dramatically in 2021. I feel he is the right prospect that I would consider drafting in the late 1st or early 2nd. The drawbacks top his game is as followed:

• Not NFL Ready day one
• Even though he plays above his size, he is still short and small
• Still needs to develop further and continue with positive growth. Still raw
• Being a more consistent and accurate passer
• footwork needs to be improved to being a viable starting QB
• learn to be able to pass in windows and have better field vision
• Further improve his anticipation and touch
• ball placement needs to continue to improve
• Offense cater to QB and is not a pro-style system

What I do really like about Willis is that he is very coachable and work ethic is there aswell a bunch of talent. Speak well for himself and is humble. He has insane pocket mobility and really quick to pull the trigger and I think he can get even faster at pulling the trigger with more internal growth. He has a lot of room to grow and be better. Other positive traits are the following:

A short story on Malik's adversity link at bottom of post*


Willis' high school career started at Atlanta's Westlake High School, best known as the alma mater of Cam Newton, but he didn't play quarterback full time until his senior year, when he transferred to Roswell. But no one was biting on him as a recruit the way he felt they should have been.

Eventually Willis committed to Virginia Tech in June 2016. Five months later, he would decommit and go with Auburn and then-coach Gus Malzahn.

Auburn wasn't planning on taking a high school quarterback in that class, because it was the class after it brought Jarrett Stidham in from Baylor (and Stidham had to sit out a season). When starting quarterback Sean White got hurt at the end of 2016, the Tigers realized they needed to bring in a high school quarterback to develop.

"Obviously, we've had success with Nick Marshall, Cam Newton and those guys," said current Miami offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who originally recruited Willis to Auburn. "And so Malik was a guy who played for John Ford up at Roswell. ... So we reached out to John, started talking with Malik and realized even though he committed to Virginia Tech, he definitely had some interest in Auburn, staying close to home and playing at Auburn.

"For me, he just reminded us a lot of Nick. I mean, he was long, he was athletic, he could really run, throw the deep ball well."

When Willis arrived at Auburn, he was buried down the depth chart, but he quickly worked his way up to being Stidham's backup. But Willis wasn't able to show what he was fully capable of because of limited snaps and limited options in those snaps.

"Even when they were up 30 points in the fourth quarter, it was very limited time," said McEvoy. "... So even when he was in, he wasn't allowed to do anything. He certainly wasn't gonna be able to throw. So I think that was tough on him."

Willis knew he needed to go after Auburn's spring game in 2018, when he didn't get reps against the first team.

"I was like, 'Dang, like, no love?'" Willis said. "After the game, [Malzahn] said I did almost perfect. And then the next day, he was like, 'Uh, yeah, we're gonna have to slim down the competition.' This and that, and then I just took that, I was like, 'OK, I gotta leave.'"

Willis, who admires Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson for how he uses his athletic success as a platform for his religious beliefs, leaned on his faith in looking for his next destination. All he wanted was a chance.

"I don't think there's nothing in life that I prayed for, that I didn't receive, in a way, shape or form," Willis said. "He gonna give you what you need and he gonna give it to you on his time. There's nothing you can do about it -- you just got to stay faithful.

"I remember, like literally being like, 'Please, like, can I just have an opportunity to go somewhere and show what I can do?' And then I just asked, constantly, 'Just let me glorify your name, however you want me to, let me use this platform.'"

Willis didn't know much about Liberty prior to his official visit.

"I needed to be able to come somewhere to play," he said. "I said somewhere that had a need. That was all. I didn't really care about nothing else. It didn't matter where I had to go."

Willis checked his daily Bible verse app the day before his official visit to Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the app displayed 2 Corinthians 3:17.

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty.

The next day, when Willis walked into Liberty's facility, he saw the verse on the wall.

"I'm like, 'Ain't no way. Ain't no way.' I ain't even tell nobody that," Willis said. "I just kind of like kept it to myself. But I knew right then I was like, 'Yep, this the place I'm supposed to go.'"

....
Willis took classes on campus at Liberty during his 2019 redshirt year but has since only had to appear at Liberty's football facility, even to do his classwork. He's taking online courses for grad school, going for his MBA.

"Football brings people together from different backgrounds, different environments, different cultures, different religions, all types of stuff," Willis said. "You just got to be open, you know, communicate with each other and try to understand one another. And that's just what's gonna bring y'all closer. You know, siblings and cousins and stuff, they fight, but they get right back together because they's family. That's how it should be."

Willis knew three things he liked about Liberty: Hugh Freeze and his offense was there; it's an institution that places importance on faith; and Freeze's strength and conditioning staff from Mississippi was there.

"Those were the three things I needed to hear," he said. "I don't care about, 'The school doesn't have this and that because it's a Christian school.' For us it isn't important. So what? This is what I came for.

"I came to work," he said. "I came to work."
.....

Despite showing off those skills every Saturday last fall, if you were to ask Willis what he did well in 2020, he couldn't give you an answer. Ask about what he needs to work on, though, and he will reply with a detailed catalogue of the plays he didn't make.

I swear I remember every bad throw I made, like it's ingrained in my memory," he said.

But when Willis speaks of his 2020 season, he doesn't get down on himself. He will tell you about his mistakes, and why he made them. But it fuels him as he prepares to go into his second year as a starter.

"I don't feel like I had a great year last year," Willis said. "I feel like I had a decent year for my first time playing, but I definitely can improve and just build this platform so I can keep glorifying God at the end of the day.

"Now that I'm in my second year in the system, I understand more about what Coach Kent [Austin] is talking to me about not just knowing coverage, but understanding what the fundamentals of coverage are, what did each player need to do in order to do their job on defense on the defensive side. Just understanding that makes it a lot easier. ... I just feel like I didn't have that last year. It was more like, I was out there. I knew coverage, I knew the plays, but now I just feel more comfortable. And more confident."
...
Austin said, "Malik's got an unbelievable work ethic. And he takes coaching. He's truly a guy that wants to improve. And he doesn't want to waste a day in that improvement trajectory. ... He comes to work every day, mentally to understand schematically the game and defense, but also fundamentally and making sure that he stays consistent."

Willis also tries to spread that same energy with the team in a leadership role.

"He does a really good job of holding other guys accountable," Liberty co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Maurice Harris said. "He gets that if all of the guys around me are on their P's and Q's, so to speak, then we're going to be very, very successful as a team and playing at a high level. So he has a really good, just overall mindset of what it takes not just for him to be successful, but for the team to be successful."

• NFL level Arm Strength and elite talent
• Elite elusiveness in the pocket and slice rusher that'll gash for big plays
• Deep Ball accuracy is impressive with nice ball placement
• Has shown growth from year to year
• Leadership and toughness is consistent in his makeup
• Work ethic and humility a strong anchor to his character
• tremendous upside

Mid-Season Grade:

2nd round

But remember just because that he has a 2nd round grade doesn't mean he'll go in the 2nd. There aren't 32 1st round prospects. So, I hope this paint the picture.


*https://www.espn.com/college-footba.../i-believe-just-did-rise-liberty-malik-willis

I’ll stick with Ian Book

 

[Taker597]

I’ll stick with Ian Book

Back up is a back up

 

[Taker597]

This feels relevant

 

[Trey W.]

I watched his bowl game and he pretty much threw 50/50 balls all game. Very little short and intermediate game. Maybe that was their game plan. He has that great escape ability but doesn’t seem to be able to read defenses of go through progressions. I would hate if we wasted a draft pick on him.

 

[Taker597]

I watched his bowl game and he pretty much threw 50/50 balls all game. Very little short and intermediate game. Maybe that was their game plan. He has that great escape ability but doesn’t seem to be able to read defenses of go through progressions. I would hate if we wasted a draft pick on him.

Talent issue.


It's why I graded him as a mid 2nd round player.

Absurd mocks got him top 10. I think Trey Lance is a cautionary tale to not zone in on raw talent as being able to translate into the NFL Day one.

He has no business going to a QB needy team.

 

[jasonsw]

Yeah Saints dont need to reach for QB. A miss on a QB kills a draft.

Saints defense is excellent and most everyone is coming back.

Just neeed to get best offensive player avaliable with each pick.

Cowboys have shown this can work. They focused on offense in 2020 draft and on defense 2021