Titans QB Malik Willis 'Odd Man Out'; Falcons Make Right Choice?

The Atlanta Falcons were choosing between Desmond Ridder and Malik Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft. With Willis on the outs, it appears the Falcons made a smart decision.

Jeremy Brener | May 10, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons appear to be making smart decisions.

A little over a year ago, the Falcons were tasked with choosing between Malik Willis and Desmond Ridder to become the team's next potential answer at the quarterback position. Atlanta chose Ridder over the Georgia local Willis, and it's turning out to be a good choice.

Just one year after using a third-round pick on Willis, the Titans selected Will Levis in the second round, and he's expected to be the long-term answer when Ryan Tannehill's contract expires this season. In fact, the Titans could take another step forward and cut Willis ahead of his second NFL campaign.

"Malik Willis, a third-round pick last year, is the odd man out as long as Tannehill is on the roster," FOX Sports writes. "Levis is going to be on the team, and the Titans don't typically keep three quarterbacks on the 53."

Willis played eight games (three starts) for the Titans last season, completing just over 50 percent of his passes for 276 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown and was picked off three times.

Willis was always going to be a developmental product coming out of Liberty. The level of competition he faced and the level of success the team had didn't compare to what Ridder had as a College Football Playoff-bound team at Cincinnati.

Ridder's numbers in 2022 didn't jump off the page, throwing for just 708 yards and two touchdowns across four starts. However, the Falcons have shown a strong belief in Ridder's ability and appear to appreciate the type of leader he can be on and off the field. That alone, especially compared to Willis, proves that the Falcons made the right decision.

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Published May 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.