Malik Willis: Probable Draft Bust to Indisputable Starter

Malik Willis: Probable Draft Bust to Indisputable Starter

The drafted-then-traded-then-excel-on-a-new-team blueprint has been the standard for quarterbacks lately.

Baker Mayfield is a prime example. The Browns selected him first overall in 2018 before shipping him off to Carolina four years later. A quick, lackluster seven games with the Panthers and five more with the Rams in the same season brought him to his current destination: Tampa Bay. 

He’s now a two-time Pro Bowler and, when healthy, has been one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league. 

You can say the same about Mayfield’s 2018 counterpart. 

Sam Darnold was completely written off by the NFL world and just won a Super Bowl in his first season with the Seahawks. 

He went from “seeing ghosts” in New York to spending two years in Carolina — at the same time as Mayfield — to landing a backup job for Brock Purdy in San Francisco. After the Vikings signed him on a one-year deal, all he did was throw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns.

His performance in Minnesota kept him in the NFC, and he earned himself a Super Bowl ring with Seattle in his eighth season in the pros. 

While not on the exact same level, similar situations continue to happen.

Daniel Jones’ six years with the Giants ended with just one resulting in more than six wins. He was picked up by the Vikings in 2024 but didn’t play a snap until signing with Indianapolis last offseason. He threw for over 3,000 yards in just 12 full games before tearing his Achilles. 

This timeline has happened time and time again, so why can’t it be true for Malik Willis?

The trio I mentioned above were all taken within the top 10 of their respective draft, but Willis’ career wasn’t headed in the greatest of directions after he threw just 66 passes in two seasons with the Titans.

He was the No. 3 guy in Tennessee during both 2022 and 2023 and was mixed in a QB room with Ryan Tannehill, Joshua Dobbs, and Will Levis. 

Then, the ever-so-important trade was complete. Willis was sent to Green Bay for a 2025 seventh-round pick, which ended up being traded to Dallas, and things started looking up. 

He was in a much better system and played like he was ready to see the field. Willis threw for 550 yards in six appearances in 2024. He turned some heads in his second season with the Packers after a 288-yard performance against the Ravens on Saturday Night Football. 

No, Willis doesn’t have the greatest record as a starter — he’s only tallied six starts in four years — but history shows anything can happen.

His two-season campaign trend has stretched to his college days at Auburn. Willis sat behind Jarrett Stidham while with the Tigers before transferring to Liberty, where, you guessed it, he played for two years.

Willis’ time with the Flames was much improved because he finally had the chance to succeed. He was the immediate starter and tossed 5,122 yards and 47 touchdowns in his pair of seasons in Lynchburg.

The Dolphins are clearly all-in on the 25-year-old — whose birthday happens to be today. Willis has the opportunity to play freely and with practically no pressure. 

His three-year, $60 million contract was a nice payday, and he gets to lead a team that has extremely low expectations. If he can churn out a solid first season with more than six wins, I would call this experiment a success.

But who knows, maybe the blueprint will bring Miami a playoff berth.