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2022 NFL Draft Results: Titans trade up to 86, select Liberty QB Malik Willis

The Titans take a shot on a quarterback.

NCAA Football: LendingTree Bowl-Eastern Michigan at Liberty Robert McDuffie-USA TODAY Sports

Jon Robinson decided to do some maneuvering late on Friday night, hopping up from 90 to 86. The Titans struck a deal with the Raiders, giving up pick 90 and 169 for pick 86.

With the 86th overall pick, Tennessee selected quarterback Malik Willis out of Liberty. We heard quite a bit of chatter about the Titans and a quarterback leading into the draft, and now we see it happen late in the third round. Willis is the third quarterback to come off of the board, following Kenny Pickett (Pittsburgh) and Desmond Ridder (Atlanta).

Willis had plenty of first round buzz, but he ended up tumbling all the way down to the end of day two. With the Titans’ window with Ryan Tannehill seemingly closing over the next couple of years, this is a low-risk gamble worth taking at this point.

The 6-0, 219 pound quarterback transferred to Liberty from Auburn and started the last two seasons for Hugh Freeze. He threw for 2,857 yards in 2021, tossing 27 touchdowns and 12 picks. He also ran for 878 yards, scoring 13 more times on the ground.

He now slots in behind Ryan Tannehill, and the Titans will hope that he can develop into the eventual starter at some point down the road.

The 2022 preseason certainly just got a lot more interesting for Titans fans.


Titans remaining draft picks

131st 4th round

143rd 4th round

163rd 5th round

204th 6th round

219th 6th round