ESPN's Todd McShay Projects Broncos to Draft Liberty QB Malik Willis in Round 1

Is this Denver's future franchise quarterback?

For the first time in nearly half a decade, the Denver Broncos are playing meaningful football in the month of December. This team finally has some postseason aspirations on the line. 

The Broncos have four games remaining in the regular season, three of which are against divisional opponents in the tightly contested AFC. While the dreams of capturing a winning season and playoff birth are enough to excite Broncos Country, experts have already started to project the 2022 NFL draft.

ESPN senior writer Todd McShay released his early predictions for all 32 first-round picks on Tuesday and projected the Broncos to select their next franchise quarterback.

“The third quarterback is Malik Willis going to Denver a few picks late at No. 17 overall. They’re in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. They need to bring in a playmaker. Willis is still a little bit mechanical as a passer, but he is a dynamic athlete who I think will continue to develop.”

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Malik Willis was listed as the third quarterback off McShay's board in a draft that he’s projecting to have five signal-callers selected in the first round. This season, Liberty's dual-threat QB has thrown for 2,626 yards and 24 touchdowns with 12 interceptions in addition to logging 820 rushing yards and another 11 scores on the ground. 

Willis profiles as a dynamic, tough playmaker despite his limited size at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds. The 22-year-old Georgia native originally attended Auburn in 2017-18 where he only played in 15 games before transferring to Liberty University in 2019. 

Willis sat out the 2019 season as a result of transferring before being named the starting QB in 2020. He led the Flames to their first-ever wins over ACC opponents Syracuse and Virginia Tech, showing off exemplary talents on the ground and through the air. 

In his first year with Liberty, Willis passed for 2,250 yards and 20 touchdowns with six interceptions in addition to rushing for 944 yards and 14 scores. The season concluded with Cure Bowl MVP honors after he put his name on the map with a 220-passing yard, 137-rushing yard, and four-touchdown performance.

McShay previously graded Willis as the 18th-best prospect in the 2022 draft class and stated, “His off-platform throws have plenty of 'wow' factor, as he gets the ball out from various release points with velocity and hits tight windows.”

This season, Willis has significantly increased his draft stock, demonstrating his ability to maneuver both inside and outside of the pocket. Already a natural athlete, his agility and explosive playmaking abilities in open-field scenarios make him elusive and electric to all who watch his game film. 

While Willis has the ability to be an NFL starter, there are many raw aspects to his game including accuracy, coverage reads, and decision making. But if he could be paired with a complementary offense that is tailored to his strengths and skill-set, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have a shot at success in the pros.

His uncle, James Anderson, played linebacker for 11 seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the third round by the Carolina Panthers in 2006. If selected by the Broncos, Willis would likely be the replacement for current starter Teddy Bridgewater. 

Willis' ability to extend plays and make positive plays happen against all odds makes him an intriguing prospect for the Broncos in a division that boasts elite quarterbacks. Perhaps the Liberty playmaker’s rushing style could complement running back Javonte Williams’ punishing style, while his strong arm could feed the recently extended wideout duo of Courtland Sutton and Tim Patrick — not to mention Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler, both of whom will be in the third year of their respective rookie contracts. 

Could we finally see the Broncos draft a Round-1 QB with for the first time since 2016? As a franchise, the Broncos have only selected four QBs in the first round: Tommy Maddox (1992), Jay Cutler (2006), Tim Tebow (2010), and Paxton Lynch (2016). 

The Broncos are currently in the hunt for the playoffs and have a 21% chance of reaching postseason contention, which could lower their position in the draft as a result. 

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