Steelers 2022 mock draft emphasizes offensive needs

Why the Steelers should steer clear of Malik Willis

I really wish everybody would just stop with Malik Willis. He looks great in his underwear throwing to undefended receivers or beating up teams like Old Dominion. Watch his game film. He is not good. He only has one pass. It’s a flat, low trajectory 15 to 20 yarder.

You want to know why Willis transferred from Auburn to Liberty? He couldn’t beat out Bo Nix. Haskins and Burrow you say? Joe Burrow put up 5600+ yards and threw for 60 touchdowns with a 76.3% completion rate against opponents in the SEC, the toughest conference in college football.

In Willis’ best season he threw for 2800+ yards and 27 TDs with a 61.1% completion rate for the independent Liberty Flames against opponents like East Texas and the University of Louisiana-Monroe. The times he went against quality opponents Willis ‘flamed out’.

Go on Youtube, type ‘Malik Willis vs’ and watch his games against Ole Miss and N.C. State. The guy is a disaster. His accuracy and ball placement are horrible and NFL cornerbacks are going to feast on him. Malik Willis is this year’s hype monger and he’s a 4th Rd developmental QB, at best. I’m not alone as a doubter of Willis, even habitual quarterback hypers, Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah, have him behind Kenny Pickett in their rankings. He’d probably be rated lower by them if they weren’t beaten down by peer pressure.

While I’m griping I may as well bring up the current fervor for ‘running quarterbacks’. This is really nothing new. Pundits have been hailing the beginning of the era of running quarters since Bobby Douglas played for the Bears, way back, in 1969. Since then this way of thinking has raised its ugly head every seven years or so but the running quarterback era has never happened.

There’s a very good reason for that. Running quarterbacks don’t last very long in the NFL. They might start out like hellfire but after about four or five years they lose a step. Then the injuries start piling up. Once they’re forced to stay in the pocket they find they can’t win with their arm, alone.

Michael Vick went through this and Lamar Jackson is just beginning what will be his slide. Vick, for all his highlight reels, only won one playoff game in his entire career and made it to the playoffs just three times. He was injury-ridden and ended his career with a horrible 56.2 completion percentage. And he’s considered the gold standard of the running quarterback.

When you draft a franchise QB you expect them to be with the team for fifteen years or more. These running guys will be losing their starting jobs within seven years, or so. and that’s a lousy return on the investment.

I guess this gripe is also Malik Willis related because his running ability is being hyped. I’ll take a good pocket passer with some mobility, any day. While these earthbound quarterbacks are scuttling for first downs, my guy will be throwing for touchdowns.

Here endeth the rant.