GREEN BAY – The Packers have made a change in the quarterback room, acquiring 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis in a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
Willis, 25, appeared in 11 games for the Titans with three starts, completing 35-of-66 passes for 350 yards with three interceptions over his first two NFL seasons. He also rushed 32 times for 144 yards (4.5 yards per carry) with one touchdown.
Here are five things to know about the Packers' new QB:
1. Willis turned in an efficient preseason while leading Tennessee in rushing.
With Will Levis slated to start at quarterback, Willis spent the summer competing with seventh-year veteran Mason Rudolph for the Titans' No. 2 job.
In three preseason appearances, the 6-foot-1, 219-pound quarterback was 20-of-27 for 205 yards with two touchdowns and one INT (104.7 passer rating). Willis also scrambled for 101 yards on 11 carries (9.2 ypc) to lead Tennessee in rushing.
Willis finished the preseason on a high note, throwing a pair of fourth-quarter TD passes to receiver Bryce Oliver and leading a game-winning scoring drive to propel the Titans to a 30-27 victory over New Orleans.
2. He started his college career at Auburn before playing his final two seasons at Liberty (Va.) University.
A former three-star recruit by ESPN and Scout.com, Willis spent two seasons at Auburn before transferring to Liberty in 2019.
Forced to sit out his first season due to NCAA transfer rules, Willis eventually threw for 5,117 yards, 47 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in two seasons for the Flames.
Liberty went 17-6 during Willis' two years as starting QB, highlighted by victories in the Cure (37-34 over Coastal Carolina) and Lending Tree (56-20 over Eastern Michigan) Bowls. Willis was named the MVP of both games.
He was a winner in high school, too, after leading Roswell (Ga.) High School to the Georgia Class 7A state game as a senior. The defensive star of that Roswell team in 2016? New Packers safety Xavier McKinney, a member of the same graduating class.
Willis completed 11 of 14 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown during his brief stint at Auburn, adding 309 rushing yards with two additional scores. Prior to transferring, Willis served asbackup in 2018 to eventual first-round pick Bo Nix, who was drafted 12th overall by Denver earlier this year.
3. Willis was the third quarterback drafted in 2022.
Willis generated some serious buzz leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein projected him as a first-round pick, lauding Willis for his dual-threat ability, blitz recognition, downfield arm strength and athletic upside.
Willis ultimately went in the third round (86th overall) behind Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett (first, 20) and Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder (third, 74). He was the first Liberty quarterback to be taken in the NFL Draft and just the ninth former Flame overall.
4. He possesses rare intangibles for the quarterback position.
Willis' speed, arm talent and field awareness made him one of the NCAA's most dangerous quarterbacks during his college career, with his 74 touchdowns from 2020-21 ranking first among all FBS players.
Gifted with premier arm strength – showcased on his 34-yard TD to Oliver last weekend – Willis also can stress a defense with his feet. While he didn't test at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine, Willis rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 TDs on 338 carries (5.4 ypc) at Liberty.
In his pre-draft writeup on Willis, Zierlein compared the QB's arm to Jay Cutler's and his build/play style to Jalen Hurts', adding prospective NFL "play-callers must lean into his special talent as a runner and include called runs into the game plan."
Willis could provide the Packers with some interesting scout-team looks, as they'll open the 2024 season against a pair of dual-threat QBs, Hurts and Indianapolis' Anthony Richardson.
5. Willis has NFL bloodlines.
His uncle, James Anderson, played in 123 NFL regular-season games over 11 seasons with seven teams after being drafted by Carolina in the third round in 2006.
Anderson led the Chicago Bears with 12 tackles, including a first-quarter sack of Aaron Rodgers, during the memorable 2013 regular-season finale between the Packers and Bears, which saw Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for a walk-off touchdown to propel Green Bay to a 33-28 victory and the NFC North title.
Willis' cousin Nigel Warrior played defensive back at the University of Tennessee (2016-19) before brief NFL stints in Baltimore (2020) and Seattle (2021).
