The Tennessee Titans are reportedly doing their due diligence on the top four quarterbacks in the 2023 draft and for good reason.
On the latest “You Pod to Win the Game” podcast, NFL insider Charles Robinson revealed that the Titans may not be sold on the 23-year-old signal-caller’s potential just one year after taking him in the third round of the 2022 draft.
“I would just say the opinion of Mike Vrabel, and maybe the coaching staff, is that he’s much further away than maybe initially they might have thought when Malik Willis was drafted,” Robinson said. “Either that, or they just see a quarterback asset at the top of this draft that’s just a much better option, and maybe a quicker option than Malik Willis would be in terms of that overall development.”
After beating Logan Woodside in training camp for the backup quarterback job behind Ryan Tannehill, Willis had an underwhelming showing during his rookie year. He showed little progress through the season, struggling to read defenses and work through his progressions. His decision-making was also a concern as evidenced by his three interceptions and below-average completion percentage.
Mike Vrabel says Malik Willis is still adjusting to the timing required to play offense in the NFL. #Titans #NFL #NFLTrainingCamp #TitansTrainingCamp pic.twitter.com/BZkyMeToj5
— All Titans (@FanNationTitans) July 30, 2022
Mike Vrabel's message to Malik Willis: pic.twitter.com/0nGxjmloJM
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) January 9, 2023
Willis completed just 50.8 percent of his passes (31 of 61) for 276 yards and three interceptions, and he was passed over for Joshua Dobbs in Tennessee’s final two regular season games. He threw for a combined 135 yards with an interception in his only two starts — a 17-10 win over the Houston Texans and a 20-17 overtime loss to the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Titans have extensively studied Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis throughout the pre-draft process, and several reports indicate they could trade up into the top 10 to take one of them.
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