Steelers Showing Early Interest in Liberty QB Malik Willis

Biggest difference is Dak was a fourth round pick. People are wanting this kid in the 1st.
If We got M.W. in the 4th round ....even I will not complain.

 

There's about a 9/10 chance that Malik Willis is never as good as Rudolph. He just has SO MUCH he needs to fix before we can throw him on the field and feel like we aren't setting him up for failure. Its a huge risk for a guy whose ceiling looks to be a poor man's Lamar Jackson. I could be totally wrong, but I'd bet if Cleveland takes Willis in 2022 they will be taking another QB in the draft again by 2025. I am just so unimpressed with what I've seen on his tape. If Lamar Jackson didn't exist, Willis wouldn't even be talked about. But since Jackson won NFL MVP and has been very successful with Baltimore, people see someone (kinda) like him and start to think he's the next thing. There's half a dozen more talented QB's in this draft. I hope we steer clear.

 

Me if We draft Him in the 1st.

 

I would love it if he turned out to be Jackson... I just don't think Jackson is his ceiling. He's half the runner Jackson was in college and has more flaws in his passing game than Jackson had coming out of college. Willis just isn't talented enough in my eyes to take this big of a risk. Just wait until he has to FACE NFL talent. That tends to amplify all your blemishes and imperfections.

Willis racked up big numbers against poor competition (blowouts vs terrible teams being the majority of his stats) but wilted down the stretch when he got a lot of national attention. His last 3 games he was 0-3 completing only 51% of his passes for an avg of 213 yds a game, 45 yards rushing a game, and 3tds to 6 picks. I couldn't find any fumbles and fumbles lost stats for him for some reason, but in the few games that I have seen of him live he put it on the dirt multiple times.

Its not that I'm averse to taking a risk, Willis is just too meh to me. The talent level isn't worth the risk. I was against taking Lamar too out of college (obviously would love to have had Jackson now lol), but knew there was at least some chance to make it work because he was a RARE talent. Willis isn't rare. Just raw.

 

Physically, he's gifted. I think a lot is going to come down to interviews and such. Sources say at the Senior Bowl practices he goes from being an all-star to being unplayable series to series.
If they believe that a year on the bench will greatly improve his decision making ability, then they have to go with it. We'll see how it worked with Try Lance next year.

 

Yeah, you and me both. And you know I'm a HUGE fan of Lamar Jackson's abilities. We've gone back and forth over whether or not he is a star player or top QB. Willis is no Jackson imo. I REALLY hope we don't take him. If we are thinking QB its 1. Howell 2. Pickett 3. Don't draft a QB

 

We did kinda tip our hand on Harris last year. Idk, I wouldn't be surprised if this is true. I seriously hope we like Howell a lot too but that's just because I prefer him over the rest. But yeah who knows on draft day... lots of weird stuff happens, especially at the QB position. Willis could be there and at the same time he could be gone in the top 5. It only takes one team to fall in love with him.

If we draft him, I will cheer like hell for him... I'm just not real optimistic he will ever become an NFL quality player at the QB position.

 

I'm not buying these reports by the media hyping up Willis and the Steelers, they all know Pittsburgh is interested in a QB, so they make a big deal about them talking to a player.

 

Picking Ridder over Strong would be a Marino mistake lol

 

I hope they aren’t all gone, but who knows. Maybe they will be. I’m not super in love with Corral, Ridder, or Strong. I don’t think any of them have enough in them to be top end QB’s. To be honest all of the top QB’s have a major flaw. Pickett the one year wonder, Howell the guy who had his worst season in his last season, Willis the raw project, etc. I guess all it will take is some QB needy teams going elsewhere. If we do in fact trade up at any time, you better believe we’re trading up for the QB. I guess all we can do is wait and see. We have a lot of money in FA to spend first and then we can start looking at the draft.

 

True, but if it continues then they might be onto something. When we REALLY love a certain player, we kinda do a bag job of hiding it.

 

I agree with Kaboly on this

 

Please don t let it be up to Tomlin with which QB we draft

 

It’s up to the GM, which is the way it’s always been.

 

I just don't see it with Willis and Howell. Pickett looks the best to me but there's no chance he makes it past the top 8 picks or so. Corral and Ridder are not good. Of the guys we can actually get at 20, I like Strong the most. I'm fairly certain we're taking a QB so I'm trying to get excited about it... but I'd keep building the lines this year and worry about a franchise QB next year.

 

I'm thinking with Colbert on his way out the door, he might try and appease Tomlin,...I hope im wrong

 

Willis' throwing motion looks way too similar to Tebow's. I don't buy that his accuracy isn't below average for an NFL QB.

I think the bigger issue is the timing of the throws. They are almost always late. Willis doesn't understand zone concepts. If you watch Carson Strong split zone defenders perfectly and repeatedly and then watch Willis scramble until a WR has 3 yards separation you can see which has a better chance at translating to the NFL (especially with so much zone being played).

 

You're not wrong. It is up to Tomlin. It's infuriating to see Colbert and Tomlin jointly evaluate their top draft picks every single **** year and then have people imitate George W "The GM is the decider. The GM decides. Deciders decide and the GM is the decider. Coach Tomlin is not the decider he is the coacher. Coachers coach the players that the decider decides."

Input from the head coach is paramount because that is who dictates the type of offense or defense being run. That's why Matt Canada also is scouting QBs because it is his crappy system they are drafting for.

"Matt Canada is just there because he had nothing else to do. He's just got a lot of free time in the off-season and said 'Hey I'm not busy. Can I come if I don't say anything and just stand there?"

 

God i hope it's not willis.

 

You're just loving this. LoL.

 

Stuck in Eagles land I have to listen to their local sports shows on radio. They report today was their GM was showing great interest on Willis. Which means nothing really. Except with 1st round picks they may not be sold on Hurts.