The consensus favorite No. 1 quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft class has fallen to Day 2.
Liberty quarterback Malik Willis had plenty of hype surrounding him throughout the draft process with most mock drafts having the Carolina Panthers at No. 6 overall or the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 overall taking him. Instead the Pittsburgh Steelers made Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett the first quarterback selection in the draft at 20th overall on Thursday night.
Willis is still waiting in the wings.
The Houston Texans’ quarterback situation has been unstable since January 2021 with flashes of promise and optimism spread out like fuel depots in the Outback. Although the club is committed to quarterback Davis Mills as he enters his second professional year in 2022, it borders upon the delusional to consider the former 2021 third-rounder from Stanford Houston’s long-term solution under center.
With a second-round selection (No. 37 overall) and two third-round picks (Nos. 68, 80), the opportunity is there for Houston to add competition to their quarterback room in the drafting of Willis.
Here is the problem with Willis, and it doesn’t have that much to do with Mills.
The Texans also have twin first-round selections in the 2023 and 2024 drafts, which afford them plenty of opportunity to put together packages to go get their franchise quarterback. Willis isn’t competing against Mills; he is competing against the notion that there is a superstar set to come out in 2023 or 2024.
If the Texans wasted a Day 2 pick on Willis, they would neglect the chance to add a starter to their roster, which would hurt whoever their quarterback is they decide to keep. Mills beats out Willis, and the Day 2 pick wasn’t used on a running back or safety. Willis gets supplanted by the foretold superstar quarterback, who now doesn’t have Skyy Moore, Christian Watson, or George Pickens to throw to because Houston used that pick on Willis.
The Texans’ quarterback situation can’t be solved in 2022, and they best use their picks to fix the roster, not field general.
