Liberty's Malik Willis believes he should be first QB taken in NFL draft

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Liberty's Malik Willis thinks he should be the first quarterback off the board in the upcoming NFL draft. It is not up to him, he admitted.

He said at the NFL combine that he doesn't make those decisions.

After a beat, he said, "I hate that for me."

A month from now, he could become an NFL organization's next franchise quarterback. That doesn't bother him.

He said that teams always let you know how big your position is. You are the face of the city. You have to understand everything that comes with that and make sure you are doing your job.

In his 15-minute media interview, the man was relaxed and had a dry sense of humor.

When asked whom he studied and modeled his game after, he mentioned Michael Vick, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady and Drew Brees, but he admitted he didn't watch much of the sport he excelled at now.

I didn't watch football like that until I was in high school.

When did he stop thinking it was boring?

He said that when he started getting better at it.

Although he is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks selected because of his mobility and arm strength, he is still heavily scrutinized for his inaccuracy. He had a 61.1 completion percentage. Some of the criticism is similar to the one against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen during his draft process.

The way the game goes, someone is always going to think you are trash. It is what it is. I will keep on going. I am not playing for their approval.

I have to prove it to God. I play for an audience of one, and I don't care what they say.

He added that he is working on improving his accuracy by working on his lower-body alignment in his throwing motion.

Some of the flaws in my game come from that area. It is not just being inaccurate. They can say that I can not throw.

In his second season at Liberty, Willis threw for 2,857 yards with 27 touchdown and 12 interceptions and rushed for 878 yards and 13 rushing touchdown. After he left the Tigers, he thought his football hopes were over. He flourished in Hugh Freeze's offense, throwing for 2,250 yards, 20 touchdown and 6 interceptions and .

I thought I was done, but I am here now so I am happy.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were mocked to the No. 20 pick in the latest mock draft. Kevin Colbert declined to talk about individual prospects on Tuesday, citing a longstanding tradition of not discussing individual prospects.

In some meetings with teams, he drew plays for the team to interview him. Something that could be nerve-wracking was something that was natural for him.

He said that he felt good about explaining the plays and his understanding of the game. It is not really stressed when you are prepared. It is not a situation where you feel under pressure. I feel like I was doing what I was supposed to do.