Getty This former NFL rushing champion knows which QB the Falcons should draft 8th overall.
The Atlanta Falcons have had a busy offseason resetting their options at quarterback. Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts and Marcus Mariota added in free agency, both after the Falcons took part in an ultimately fruitless pursuit of Deshaun Watson.
There’s been a lot of change at football’s most important position in Atlanta, but the Falcons might not be finished just yet. Mariota looks like the de facto starter, but his new team owns the eighth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, a prime spot to take one of the best quarterbacks in this class.
It’s an option a former Pro Bowl running back believes the Falcons will take. This ex-player, who won the league’s rushing title in 2011, thinks the Falcons won’t look beyond a dual-threat quarterback with similar skills to those possessed by Mariota and Watson.
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Falcons Ordane Post-Ryan Era With Rushing QB
In his mock draft 2.0 for NFL.com, Maurice Jones-Drew has the Falcons using the eighth pick to select Liberty’s Malik Willis: “The Falcons are intent on entering the 2022 season with a dual-threat quarterback. They signed Marcus Mariota after missing out on Deshaun Watson, and now they get a guy with an electric arm and big-time running ability. It’s a new era in Atlanta after a decade and a half with pocket passer Matt Ryan.”
It’s a strong argument, especially in light of Mariota’s arrival and the Falcons interest in Watson. Mariota played for Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith with the Tennessee Titans and is a gifted read-option quarterback who can beat defenses in multiple ways.
Watson, who ultimately snubbed the Falcons, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers to join the Cleveland Browns, is a little different. His game relies more on arm talent, but the former Clemson product has also shown a flair for making plays with his legs, rushing for 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns during five seasons with the Houston Texans.
The Falcons believed they had the inside track to Watson in any trade talks thanks to the quarterback’s hometown connection. He played his high school football at Gainesville High in Georgia and knows Falcons owner Arthur Blank.
Things looked far enough down the line for the Falcons to consider it unlikely Watson would go anywhere else, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson:
I’m told Falcons brass has ‘keys to the city’ to bring a trade home with Deshaun Watson & would be ‘surprised’ if that doesn’t occur based on strong mutual interest & conversations. Separately I expect Watson to receive new money in a restructured contract once any trade is done.
Watson’s u-turn likely caught the Falcons cold, but there is a hometown connection with Willis, who is also a native of Georgia. As Jones-Drew points out, Willis is a spectacular runner, making him different from pocket-based Ryan.
The Falcons dealt the latter to Indianapolis for a third-round pick after 13 seasons under center in Atlanta. There’s room for a new face of the franchise, and buzz is building the Falcons will trust the role to Willis.
Willis to Falcons Buzz Building
You wouldn’t be hard pressed to find people linking Willis with the Falcons ahead of draft day on Thursday, April 28. The Falcons “are very high” on the 22-year-old, according to NFL Rumors Intern Brandon Jensen.
Aside from Jones-Drew, many of those writing mock drafts feel the same way. Among them, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports sends Willis to the Falcons. So does Falcons Wire writer Matt Urben, albeit after a trade from eighth to 13th involving the Texans.
Willis also has admirers within the Falcons’ building. They include shutdown cornerback A.J. Terrell, who has known Willis for years and recently praised the quarterback’s intangibles, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
#Falcons CB A.J. Terrell on his former high school teammate at Westlake HS Malik Willis: “Where ever he goes, they’re getting a winner and a great leader.”
It makes sense for the Falcons to at least give Willis strong consideration. He’s a big-play threat whenever he takes off to run, with his college average comparable to a certain Lamar Jackson, per PFF Fantasy Football:
Malik Willis is in great company 🤝
As well as his running, Willis is an accomplished passer. He threw 47 touchdowns compared with just 18 interceptions during two seasons at Liberty.
Willis has the natural dynamism suited to being a prolific playmaker at the pro level. It’s something the Falcons need to help separate themselves in a lopsided NFC South, where division rivals are defined by wildly different situations at quarterback.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the way with Tom Brady, who many believe is the greatest of all time. There is no such stability among the Saints and Panthers, with the former still trying to replace Drew Brees, while those in Carolina are searching in vain for a franchise signal-caller.