The 2021 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and as predicted, the Detroit Lions stayed away from selecting a quarterback to eventually take over for Jared Goff.
But 2022 could be a different story, depending on whether or not Goff looks like the Lions quarterback of the future when he takes the field in 2021.
In fact, many believe the Lions will be the worst team in the NFL this coming season, which means they would get the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft.
According to Pro Football Network, that will be the case and the Lions will select a quarterback No. 1 overall.
PFN not only has the Lions selecting a QB with the No. 1 pick in 2022 but they have them selecting a QB you probably have not heard of unless you have already been looking forward to the next draft class. (Guilty as charged)
As you can see below, PFN has the Lions selecting QB Malik Willis out of Liberty with the No. 1 pick.
1. Detroit Lions: Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
We have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen with this quarterback class. There are plenty of names congested at the top, but it’s different in 2022. While the 2021 NFL Draft had an excess of high-level QB talent, the 2022 NFL Draft suffers from a lack of clarity. Any one of Spencer Rattler, Desmond Ridder, Sam Howell, Carson Strong, J.T. Daniels, or Matt Corral could be the pick. But I’m going with someone else entirely.
Malik Willis is a massive sleeper in next year’s QB class, and he has the natural talent to pace his position. A former Auburn commit, he emerged with the Liberty Flames in 2020, throwing for 2,260 yards, 20 scores, and 6 interceptions. He also ran for 944 yards and 14 scores.
Willis is an elite athlete at 6-foot-1, 215 pounds, and he also has tantalizing arm talent and off-script ability. On top of that, he’s a humble, hard-working player, and he’s sure to pass character evaluations if he works his way into the QB1 conversation.
I am not ready to say that Willis will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2022 (I am leaning toward Sam Howell at this moment in time) but you can bet he will be talked about quite a bit as we get closer to next year’s draft.
