There has been an internal divide between Atlanta Falcons fans for the last few years on what to do with long-time quarterback Matt Ryan. Some believe the time to draft a new quarterback is now, and could’ve even been last year. Yet some believe that the quarterback change should not be forced or rushed, and that the rest of the team should be built up first.
Now we all know the Ryan era isn’t going to last forever, but is the time to draft his heir apparent now? Nick Kayal thinks drafting Malik Willis with the eighth overall pick isn’t a bad idea for the Falcons.
Malik Willis is a 6-foot-1, 215-pound quarterback out of Liberty that transferred from Auburn. He is super talented, athletic, and has an absolute cannon for an arm. However, Willis is also very raw, very green, and needs to improve his mechanics, footwork, football IQ, and his understanding of defensive and offensive concepts.
Willis seems like he would be a project for any NFL team that drafts him. Now, all Falcons fans can agree that we desperately need a pass-rusher. But with it being very likely that Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux go first and second overall in some capacity, and top offensive tackle Evan Neal going to go somewhere in the top four or five overall, that sparks the Willis debate for Nick Kayal who says “If you’ve graded him out and he’s better than the next tackle, or David Ojabo, the next edge-rusher from Michigan, than you gotta take the quarterback.
Nick supports his case with Mel Kiper Jr.'s and Todd McShay’s praise of the Liberty quarterback. Kiper said Willis’ talent is “undeniable.” In the same ESPN hit McShay commented on Willis and said “Malik Willis is a pro’s pro already. He’s going to come, he’s going to work hard, he’s got great personal and football character, and he’s the kind of guy that can turn around an organization.”
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Earlier in the week Kiper also already threw out the idea of the Falcons possibly drafting Willis when asked where Willis could end up in April’s draft.
“Maybe Atlanta," said Kiper. "They passed on quarterbacks last year, the heir-apparent to Ryan. Do they pass on the heir-apparent this year? If Willis is really strong in this draft process over the next 94 days leading up to the draft, I think Malik Willis could end up an Atlanta Falcon at pick No. 8.”
Kiper also continued his praise of Willis saying “The mock draft is about what we're hearing, not what we think, and that's why I say, when you look at Malik Willis, I think by the time we get to late-April, he may be the first quarterback taken.
"He's got that thick upper body, he's a powerful kid, he's fast, he surprises people with that deceptive speed and that deceptive strength. If he lights it up in Mobile, he's gonna really be a guy that's gonna maybe end up in that top 10."
It looks like Nick is cooking with some gas on the potential of Willis ending up with the Atlanta Falcons. Kiper certainly thinks so, and he and McShay seem sold on the Liberty quarterback already.
Nick did a tally during the show between quarterbacks in the NFL that can move, and quarterbacks that can’t move, and the results came out that 25 of the 32 NFL teams have quarterbacks that can move, and Matt Ryan is not one of those. However, the NFL is becoming a league where you almost need a mobile quarterback, and Willis can definitely move.
Draft sites, scouts, and analysts are saying that Willis is the best running quarterback since Lamar Jackson, and we know how that is working out in Baltimore. With Sean Payton leaving the New Orleans Saints, Tom Brady possibly retiring, and the Carolina Panthers in disarray, Kayal made a great point.
“If you can get a leg up in the quarterback spot, you can take control of this division,” said Kayal. I’m sure the Falcons will watch Willis very closely during the draft process. But if he’s there will the Falcons pull the trigger?
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Terry Fontenot has said it’s always about drafting the best available player in the draft, and a lot can happen between now and April, but if Willis is the best available player for the Falcons at No. 8 overall, will Fontenot, Arthur Smith, and the Falcons draft the quarterback out of Roswell High School and bring him home?