Getty Liberty Flames quarterback Malik Willis meeting with the media at the 2022 NFL Combine.
The New York Jets don’t need a quarterback ahead of the 2022 NFL draft.
They were able to address that with the No. 2 overall pick by selecting Zach Wilson out of BYU last year. Heck, they don’t even need a backup quarterback after re-signing Joe Flacco and tendering Mike White as an RFA (restricted free agent).
However not every NFL team has that luxury and that could really benefit the green and white this offseason.
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Some Serious Draft Buzz
For folks that need a quarterback, one NFL person recently told me this isn’t the offseason to find one. He was more so discussing the upcoming 2022 NFL draft as opposed to the crazy veteran quarterback movement we have seen thus far.
Despite the rookie class not getting the hype as in previous years, we all know someone is going to dive into the deep end of the pool because it happens every year.
That team in 2022 might very well be the Detroit Lions.
I recently had Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus on my podcast and I asked him point-blank, is the recent buzz connecting former Liberty Flames quarterback Malik Willis to the Lions with the No. 2 overall pick real or fake?
“I’ve heard it, I’ve heard.”
.@TampaBayTre when asked about buzz of @LibertyFootball’s Malik Willis (@malikwillis) going No. 2 overall to the #Lions, ‘I’ve heard it, I’ve heard it’ 🧐👀 #OnePride #NFLDraft #NFL
Willis is coming off of two super-productive years with the Flames:
- 5,107 passing yards
- 47 touchdowns to 18 interceptions
- 153.2 quarterback rating
Massive Ripple Effects Incoming
Obviously, at this moment the Jets feel really good about their quarterback situation, which means they won’t be using a pick on one.
Fans of the green and white should be rooting as hard as they can for quarterbacks to go in front of them during the draft because that will push other really good players at positions of need down the board.
While Willis going No. 2 overall was nothing more than a fantasy a few months ago, there is some recent buzz that suggests it is very much in the conversation.
On Tuesday, March 22, Willis had his Pro Day at Liberty and some of his wow throws are making the rounds on social media:
Malik Willis with another bomb at his Pro Day and look at him celebrating after.
Teams are going to fall in love with this guy.
Willis is absolutely surging during the buildup to the 2022 NFL draft and if teams are going to want him, they may have to trade up to do it.
The Lions clearly don’t have a quarterback of the future on the roster and they could be tempted to pull the trigger at No. 2 to ensure that they get their guy.
They have another first-round pick in their back pocket from the Matthew Stafford trade at No. 32 overall, but it seems like there is no shot in hell that Willis will still be on the board at that point.
This will force the Lions to make an important business decision on what to do at the top of the draft which could have massive ripple effects on what the green and white decide to do with the No. 4 and No. 10 overall picks respectively.
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