Insights about how new Packers QB Malik Willis played for the Titans

Brian Gutekunst is not afraid to invest in the quarterback position. Right after he was promoted to general manager of the Green Bay Packers in 2018, he traded Damarious Randall and a swap of 4th- and 5th-round picks to acquire DeShone Kizer from the Cleveland Browns. He has drafted Jordan Love, Sean Clifford, and Michael Pratt. Now, Gutekunst decided to send a seventh-round pick to get Malik Willis , a former third-rounder, from the Tennessee Titans.

Willis had a disappointing tenure with the Titans, playing 11 games and starting three of them. No touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 49.4 passer rating. He had a 51.9 PFF grade as a rookie (39.8 passing grade), and it went down to 45.9 in 2023 (48.4 passing grade) in a smaller sample size. Throughout his 11 NFL games, he has had a 4.2% big-time throw rate and a 3.0 turnover-worthy play rate. Another big issue: In only 91 dropbacks, he was sacked 11 times.

The lack of ability to read defenses and process information was the big reason why the Titans signed Mason Rudolph in free agency one after after using a second-round pick to get Will Levis. That made Willis expandable.

However, reporters who cover the Tennessee Titans saw a better version of Willis in this year's training camp.

"Significantly improved," said Austin Stanley, COO of A to Z Sports. "He was worth of making the roster, but they didn't need him."

In preseason, Malik Willis had a 65.1 grade against the San Francisco 49ers, 78.4 against the Seattle Seahawks, and 74.0 against the New Orleans Saints. He did well, even though it was mostly against threes.

"Willis made significant improvements to his game over the offseason and was working well under Tennessee's new coaching staff. The former Liberty Flames QB threw for 205 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during the preseason," wrote Titans beat writer for A to Z Sports Sam Phalen . "Willis played his best football with the Titans this summer. Sunday's preseason finale, where Willis led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to win the game, was a perfect example of that. He has earned himself the right to be on a 53-man roster."

Pre-draft profile

Malik Willis was universally seen as a top prospect in 2022, in which ended up being an awful draft class for quarterbacks — the best one is the last one, Brock Purdy. Even though Willis fell to the third round and Kenny Pickett was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first, Willis was the first quarterback prospect according to the consensus big board . He was the 14th player overall.

NFL Network's draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah wasn't so high on him, having him as QB2 and 26th overall, but mentioned before the draft that Willis had the highest ceiling of the class.

^{"Willis is a thick, sturdy quarterback with elite arm strength and play-making ability. He has quick feet in his setup and he throws from a wide, firm base. He usually releases the ball out of a 3/4 arm slot and it jumps out of his hand. He generates incredible RPMs and flashes the ability to fit passes into tight windows. His accuracy is inconsistent. At times, he gets too wide with his feet and the ball sails to the perimeter. He has shown the ability to change ball speed, but he can improve on layer throws. He misses out on some completions because his throws are too flat. He's effective extending and creating against pressure (which he faced a ton of). He's outstanding on QB draws, powers and zone reads. He has a burst and pulls through tackles. Overall, Willis is still a work in progress, but he has the most upside on any QB in this class."}

That's what the Packers are looking for. Maybe, it's just another failed trade like the DeShone Kizer one was. But Green Bay's idea is to bet on pure talent, hoping that head coach Matt LaFleur and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements can make their magic once again.

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