Liberty's Malik Willis believes he should be first QB taken in NFL draft

INDIANAPOLIS — Liberty's Malik Willis believes he should be the first quarterback off the board in next month's NFL Draft. But, he admitted, it's not exactly up to him.

«I don't make those decisions,» he said Wednesday morning at the NFL Combine.

And then after a beat, Willis dryly added «I hate that for me.»

Willis, 22, could become an NFL organization's next franchise quarterback in just a month. That doesn't worry him.

"(Teams) always are going to let you know how big your position is," he said. «I mean, you're the face of the franchise, literally. You're the face of the city. So, you've got to understand everything that comes with that and making sure you're doing all the right things and making sure you're doing your job.»

In his 15-minute media interview, Willis exuded confidence through his relaxed demeanor and dry sense of humor.

Asked who he studied and modeled his game after, Willis cited Michael Vick, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady and Drew Brees — but he admitted he didn't use to watch much of the sport he excels at now.

«I didn't even watch football like that until high school.» Willis said. «I used to think it was boring.»

So when did he stop thinking it was boring?

«When I started getting better at it,» he said.

Though he's expected to be one of the first quarterbacks selected because of his mobility and arm strength, Willis is still heavily scrutinized for his inaccuracy. He posted a 61.1 completion percentage in 2021. But Willis isn't fazed by the criticism, some similar to the knocks against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during his draft process.

«Somebody's always going to think (you're) trash,» Willis said. «That's just the way the game goes. It is what it is. I'm going to just keep on going. I'm