20 NFL bold predictions after the 2022 NFL Draft
By Randy Gurzi
12. Malik Willis steals Ryan Tannehill’s job in 2022
A lot has been made of the comments made by Ryan Tannehill after the Tennessee Titans drafted Malik Willis in the third round to back him up. Willis — who some thought could sneak into Round 1 — is a dual-threat quarterback who needs to refine his passing in order to be a complete quarterback.
However, he has the arm strength to make any throw and his running is already at a high level. That makes him a threat to a veteran such as Tannehill and when asked about him, the Titans current starter said it wasn’t his job to mentor him.
"“I don’t think it’s my job to mentor him,” Tannehill said via Turron Davenport of ESPN. “But if he learns from me along the way, that’s a great thing.”"
Of course, Tannehill is right. This whole idea that a starting quarterback is there to mentor a younger player is flawed. Can they learn from watching them play, as Tannehill stated? Sure, but the truth is the starter has far too much on his plate to worry about someone else’s growth.
That’s where a quarterback coach, or maybe even a veteran backup, comes into place. So while Tannehill was absolutely correct in his comments, he should still be concerned about the rookie.
Willis would add a new element to an offense that could be looking for a spark following the departure of A.J. Brown, which is why this prediction is that Willis finds a way to steal the job from Tannehill before the 2022 season ends.