Malik Willis Is An UPSIDE DART THROW For The Green Bay Packers | Film Room

what's going on everybody welcome back to the Channel Jake shink here and the Packers made a pretty stunning move the day before final cutdowns trading for quarterback Malik Willis was a third round pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 NFL draft now most of the the prevailing opinion on Willis was there was some upside there there were plenty of physical tools but there was a lack of refinement in his game playing within the pocket accuracy going through progressions and he kind of needed to figure that out and develop before he could become a starting quarterback in the NFL now it's been a pretty mixed bag for Willis so far uh in his career so let's take a look at the film and see where Willis has made some strides what needs to improve and what Packers fans should expect for Willis as a backup when Malik Willis had his number called during his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans the Titans did everything that they could to help Malik Willis acclimate to the speed of the NFL they gave him a lot of favorable looks right they they tried to ease him in with with stuff that would be comfortable for him and and tried to build a rhythm for Willis in the passing game that meant a lot of screens a lot of read option A lot of play action to kind of get The Playmakers out in space and give Willis some easy buckets to build that Rhythm he got pretty comfortable with the play action game he has generates really nice velocity and you see that Rhythm throw there to trayon Burks that was pretty effective obviously as an athlete right when when you're able to affect the game with the QB Run game and roll outs it helps a lot and when you have the RPO and play action game you're able to give Willis easy buckets that he can take advantage of Willis did a pretty decent job in in terms of the quick game recognizing you know where Defenders were dropping into zones and kind of finding that open man to generate some some you know easy wins on on early Downs a really nice look there with smash against the Texans there and obviously you know he went through some reads at times and he did a nice job at times finding the checkdown late in the play which is really really helpful right you don't need to get everything on one play take what you can get early on and obviously the scramble ability was there right when things broke down in the pocket Willis was able to kind of get out of sticky situations a little bit and still generate some chunk plays as a runner with that athleticism that we know he has now in terms of some of the high Lev plays we got to see from Willis a lot of it was was showing off the tools especially on the move here against the Chiefs how about this really really impressive rope on the move with pressure in his face and here against Houston you know does a nice job getting out of the pocket resetting and then just kind of a ludicrous throw with this arm angle that you're going to see his last two throws might remind you of a couple quarterbacks that have come through Green Bay obviously right you know you'd like to see him set this feet on a lot of these play action uh throws but when you can generate that velocity and when you flash the accuracy on that back shoulder throw and on this go route you see a lot of the potential that that Willis offers a team especially as a backup and here nice little job resetting moving to his left now really what Willis struggled with as a rookie was trusting his eyes right he was a little hesitant you know his processing ability wasn't the best he he was often late to a lot of reads and that you know generated struggles within this Tennessee offense when he was on the field here you're going to see Willis kind of react a little late to this corner route when it's wide open from the jump and you see him have to reset his feet and it's an accurate throw same with that throw to the flat there against Houston and he did miss some layups at times as well to the flat here on a throw to the perimeter he just doesn't have you know that change up yet he he was generating a lot of velocity on his throws but it was mostly the fast ball and there were times when Willis put the ball In Harm's Way because he was late to reads he wasn't processing quick enough and then he got into some bad habits that that turned into interceptions in his rookie season throwing behind with bad accuracy and then just not recognizing the underneath linebacker here against Houston so his his struggle with processing the field his issues with hesitancy to throw stuff that was open the lack of of crisp footwork and the lack of touch throwing the football to the intermediate deep parts of the field contributed to the struggles that Willis had as a rookie the Tennessee Titans didn't do him a lot of favors plenty of plays on film where where Willis doesn't have anybody open to throw to and it it turns into the scramble drill and and that kind of led to some bad habits where he was bailing on clean Pockets because there are certain Concepts where he's just not used to seeing guys get open so you know as a cohesive unit the Titans definitely struggled with Willis in there as a rookie but let's take a look at the 2024 preseason to see if Willis has taken any steps and and maybe why Green Bay took this chance all right so what is Malik Willis's 2024 pre-season film show us well I think there's a few things that that look a lot better and there's obviously still stuff that he has to work on he definitely looks more comfortable in the pocket and even has taken a step forward in his comfort with the quick game I know that was something we kind of highlighted on the rookie film but you definitely see even more comfort and I I think he even has a better understanding and has that builtup confidence to be able to throw in with him in the quick game and he does it at a high level now here is is a really good example of kind of Willis having hesitancy and and also just not processing things very quickly off of play action he has the flat route here if he wants it and he recognizes that first but then he does he sees that the corner route is open and he can take this this shot down the field the problem is he's just a little bit late to both and he's a little hesitant to throw both and instead we get a throw on the run with guys in his face to the guy who's probably least open on this play and it's a throw behind him so the accuracy wains a little bit there on the move here I think it's a good process right I think I think you know the out route against man coverage should be the route that's open Defender gets you know a little handier at the top of the route but the accuracy here wains a little bit you see this ball you know float over his head Willis has to continue to work on touch throws especially on the intermediate portion of the field where I think he still believes that the fast ball is I think the most important throw that he can have which it's going to help with tight windows it's it's going to help you know the margin of error a little bit with in terms of the processing because he has that velocity but he has to be able to learn to throw with more touch here does a great job recognizing a lot of off coverage in the quick game here and is able to deliver this on time a nice throw on the out route here I think is a really nice demonstration of Willis showing that that calmness in the pocket because I think here with this you know pressure that's coming I think you would have immediately seen Willis take off or or bail out of the pocket you know back either direction but he does a nice job just making that little subtle adjustment there and then keeping his eyes downfield and finding the open man in Rhythm that was you know as you know easy as that looks it's an important step forward for Willis there's no doubt and now you see the highle tools you see the arm Talent the velocity and some impressive accuracy on this throw right look at this boom I mean come on just over the outstretched arm of the defender it's kind of an absurd throw honestly so how about here what do you see I think will is obviously hunting for the shot play initially on this but I think he needs to get back to this I assume this is either read two or three in the progression he needs to get to this underneath route a little bit sooner just a little bit late with the recognition and it allows the defender to kind of creep back into this play and disrupt the catch point here I think is another good example right where I think Willis I think could again probably pull the trigger here right you get an out route and a corner route there's enough off coverage here where he could throw this if he wanted to and I think he's now looking to the corner route he's looking you know kind of working backside to this play because it's obviously third down and you want to get to the sticks here but Willis right here right when he hitches here he can reset and make this throw and I don't know if this throws in the progression or not right I'm not in the room but this is the open man I know he's got enough green grass to potentially make a play as a Scrambler and maybe that's where he feels most comfortable but I do think a first down was attainable there how about against Seattle what do we see well I think you know on this I know a lot of people see this this in route over the middle of the field and think Willis can throw this I do think the linebacker is initially sinking into this window making this one a little bit tougher obviously be nice to have a more consistent change up Right Touch on the football but but I do think Willis makes a good decision here Maneuvers the pocket obviously this throw is made on the move not with the feet reset but it's to the checkdown he finds the open man and he lives to see another down which is totally fine here I think is a good example of kind of some of what of what you saw in Tennessee covered covered covered the checkdowns aren't looking back to him right now so he can't really throw them and by that time pressure had come from here and that's why you see him slide left but then also pressure gets to him from the other side so just a tough rep overall he did have maybe an escape to the right but tough with a lot of pressure coming from from all sides here play action uh Obviously good recognition skills doesn't reset the feed on this but look at the velocity easy velocity he generates right there off of play action something you definitely saw from him in one of the Reps we showed on the rookie film here play action again and I think this is good process this is the right read I you have the the go route basically occupying the safety and you have the receiver coming back in on this on this in route just he does get a little hung up here by the by the defender so that might have contributed a little bit to this Miss but it's a pretty wide Miss with the accuracy so it's just again honing I think the footwork and kind of the upper body mechanics you know that that helps you make that throw for sure I think it's a good example right like again he's he's generating a lot of rotational force with this but I just I think you know it's pretty wide and he still see that that high in away fast ball where even if he's not contacted at the top of this route I I'm just not sure it's it's within his grasp uh for the receiver there so here I think you know Willis I think here could potentially potentially benefit from sliding up in the pocket I know the pocket can get a little condensed that's for sure I and it it's it's tough for me to be saying this you know on camera and a recording right and not on the field but he did have a little bit of room to step up in the pocket instead he kind of gets to that late bail to the back side of this pocket and you have some windows you could potentially test if you had climbed the pocket in this instance and kind of a Las ditch effort there on the Run good example of of again quick read they they get him an easy bucket here to make and and he delivers this is good this is on time it's a switch release we get the slant right The Defenders can't adjust in time and you make the throw in Rhythm on time play action here and again a little tougher because you could potentially layer this throw and that's where Willis I think initially is looking of course but I do think he sees the linebacker in the window and obviously this linebacker also sinking so probably a tougher throw for him here uh would like to see you know you do like to see him reset the feet and make this throw at least so you know I think just more reps with with making those touch throws I think will'll get him more comfortable with them here I think is a great example of you know if you have quick recognition skills at the snap you see this this go route up the middle two high safeties right they're both moving back at the snap if you have the recognition skills you can thread the needle quickly here linebacker doesn't sink quickly enough into this window you got to be able to make this one and now to be fair to his credit scrambles and actually makes a really impressive throw on the Move where only this receiver could catch it unfortunately might not be used to the rocket balls as as some Packers fans will definitely get that reference I think here with with Willis again just a little bit late to this read right I know he's looking to the left side of the field on this one initially so he's looking for this this in route to come open between these two Defenders coverage is a little too tight he he I think just a hitch too much here to work backside to this play because this is a dangerous throw that he makes luckily receiver comes back to the football and makes a heck of a play it's it's a similar thing here right where receivers got tight coverage when we're separating you know ball from the left hand to make this throw the receiver is well out of the break so again he's a little late to this read but again receiver bails him out comes back to catch the football through contact here I like challenging the seams I think he does a nice job but I think the throw has to be now once this receiver crosses the shoulder of the defender we need to make this we're throwing this a little too late and it again is inviting Defenders back into the play to make hit like that same goes for this one same type of seam ball if you're going to thread the needle here it's got to be right now shoulder passing shoulder don't leave your guy hanging out to dry with this safety closing in it Willis does that just not what you want to see here though I think Willis this is really impressive subtle maneuver in the pocket right step up just a little and this is a throw that you go oh my gosh he can make the touch throw over the linebacker really really impressive maybe just out of the reach but it looked catchable unfortunately it turns into a pick because I I I keep coming back to this one and going I feel like this is something they saw and they go oh so he can actually layer throws it's just maybe a confidence thing we like to see that even though it was picked process is good here great ball on the go route brighten the Bread Basket for a touchdown really like that really like the confidence he has there making that throw here I think again we we we showed you the back shoulder throw against um you know the Chiefs that he made in his rookie season again just a little way high and outside on this back shoulder throw where I think he's just still putting too much velocity on it and just not enough touch to make uh those throws consistently here though what you really like is there's a little bit of panic that you can see in the footwork that reacts to the initial pressure but a quick slide a quick reset and and really nice throw on time on target right where it needs to be with a Defender draped on the receiver for a touchdown so I think Willis has definitely made some some growth and development happen in his young career to this point you see you know him be more comfortable in the pocket he he's executing the quick game at a high level and you see the flashes that you saw as a rookie right that throw against the Niners really really impressive that throws against the Saints so I think you see that that maybe Brian gunst and Company saw this and go okay this is a guy who's taking that step forward the the kind of upside that we saw in Michael Pratt but maybe a more refined version that can back up Jordan love and obviously he's going to come into a situation where Tom Clemens has done a tremendous job developing quarterbacks so that just kind of maybe adds to the Allure of Malik Willis but he's definitely still an upside Dart throw don't get it twisted so we'll see how this uh all um shakes out but hope you guys enjoyed this video I'm Malik Willis if you did throw a like down there subscribe if you're new plenty more content on the way very very soon I will catch you guys in the next video farewell