NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- In dealing Malik Willis to the Packers for a seventh-round draft pick, the Titans conceded they were overambitious in the 2022 draft.
ESPN reported the trade.
Jon Robinson moved up in the third round to take Willis out of Liberty when a quarterback some analysts projected to be a first-rounder lasted until the 86th pick. Tennessee dealt the 90th pick in the third and the 169th pick in the fifth to the Raiders for No. 86 to take Willis when the team had plenty of other needs.
While the raw QB was a project, he was beyond shaky as a rookie. The Titans called on him three times to sub for the injured Ryan Tannehill and he completed just 50.8 percent of his passes with three interceptions and no touchdowns as they managed one win and two losses. [Unlocked]
They signed Joshua Dobbs from Detroit's practice squad and rode with him for the final two games of the season, two more losses that completed a seven-game losing streak and a 7-10 season that kept the Titans out of the playoffs.
New general manager Ran Carthon and Mike Vrabel traded up again in 2023, this time in the second round, to draft Will Levis out of Kentucky.
Willis showed some improvement last season but didn't perform well in relief of Tannehill in London against the Ravens. When he needed a starter to fill in for Tannehill, Vrabel turned to Levis, who kept the job after Tannehill recovered.
Wills has grown more comfortable staying in the pocket to seek out throws but in the preseason still ran a much less efficient and productive offense than veteran Mason Rudolph, who was signed to be Levis' backup.
Brian Callahan spoke as if there was a competition for the No. 2 spot, but there was never evidence that the Titans were seriously considering Willis as anything more than the No. 3. And it was always debatable if they'd keep three quarterbacks.
"Malik really showed well for himself in that (Saints) game," Callahan said of his seven-for-eight, 118 yard passing performance that produced a 118.8 passer rating in the preseason finale. "I thought he played well. He put some really nice throws on tape. You still see his athleticism with the ball in his hand.
"And then, Mason just kind of continues to be the epitome of consistency. Every time he goes in there, the team moves, he completes the ball, and we find success. It's been really good to see. Both of those guys have competed, and I think they both improved markedly from when we first started in OTAs, and I'm excited about what they've done and what that means."
Maybe the Packers can develop Willis into a decent backup for Jordan Love. I'd bet against it based on what I watched in two years of him in Nashville. The Titans misjudged him coming out of Liberty, couldn't develop him and turned third- and a fifth-round picks into a seventh.