The case for and against the Falcons selecting Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft

Mel Kiper of ESPN had some strong opinions about the Falcons and Malik Willis earlier this week:

Mel Kiper Jr. has Liberty QB Malik Willis as his QB2 in the 2022 NFL Draft. Says he believes in Willis talent much like he believed in the talent of Josh Allen and Justin Herbert when they entered the draft. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/RmbkwMOvMj

— WBG84 (@WBG84) January 25, 2022

Let’s be honest, Mel Kiper isn’t exactly some fountain of draft knowledge. He did say he would retire if Jimmy Clausen wasn’t a star in the NFL. Regardless, I just can’t get behind the Falcons taking Malik Willis 8th overall.

The Case for Malik Willis

Willis has undeniable tools. He’s a competent runner, has a strong arm, and has a lot of intangibles that you want out of an NFL quarterback. In Atlanta, he’d be able to sit behind Matt Ryan for a year and get a much-needed season of development. There’s potential for him to develop into the next star dual-threat quarterback in a perfect world.

The Case Against Malik Willis

My primary issue with Willis is he showed absolutely no progression in 2021. He actually played worse.  He’s a bit undersized at 6’1, and he throws a lot of questionable interceptions in a quarterback friendly offense. I could justify a second-round pick on him due to the upside, but selecting him 8th overall with all of the defensive talent on the board is out of the question.

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