Malik Willis's young career was on the brink when he joined the Green Bay Packers after two disastrous seasons in Tennessee. Two years later, he signed a $67.5 million contract to be the Dolphins' starting quarterback. Talk about a transformation.
While Willis can't fall back on a large sample size, the sample he does have is a chiseled gem that radiates with further promise. As a former NFL QB himself, NBC's Chris Simms certainly thinks so. In Simms' annual quarterback rankings, Willis jumped from 35th in 2025 to a respectable 19th ahead of this season.
Not bad for a guy with three career wins to his name, who couldn't even beat out Will Levis or Mason Rudolph in Tennessee.
Here's the really mind-boggling part. The quarterback right behind Willis on Simms' list is former No. 2 overall pick CJ Stroud. Remember the hype after his dazzling rookie season? In 2024, Simms ranked Stroud seventh. As Willis has proved, a lot can change in two years.
Malik Willis took two years with Packers to do the unimaginable
Of course, Stroud's place on the list has a lot to do with his own regression. Seemingly every concern and inconsistency snowballed in the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots last season, when Stroud coughed up five turnovers and looked completely discombobulated. He has gone from being the face of Houston's future to a guy who looks like anything but the answer.
That said, Simms still likes Stroud's tape. He still believes in his potential. And while Stroud has dropped in the rankings, that Willis ranks ahead of him has just as much to do with his own ascension.
"I mean, listen, I think he's got superstar talent. That's why I have him here," Simms said of Willis. "I know the film is limited, but it's superstar-ish, too. I'm just going to say that on top of it. Malik Willis's best throws are up there with the superstars of the sport."
That doesn't even touch on his legs, the dual-threat nature that made Willis so lethal as a backup in Green Bay. Defenses didn't count themselves lucky when starter Jordan Love went out.
"His athletic ability and what he does there is incredible," added Simms. "His running, his playmaking, his extending, all of that. The only thing there is to question is just, yeah, the amount of reps and games and information we have on him."
In two Packers seasons covering 11 games and three starts, Willis put up a passer rating of 134.6 with a 6-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His QBR last season was 93.1. It's a limited sample, but those are video game numbers.
What Willis has shown was enough to get him the nod over Stroud and, to the certain chagrin of one loud fanbase, Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts at No. 21. Two years ago, Hurts was No. 9. Add a former Super Bowl MVP and three-time Pro Bowler to quarterbacks Simms rather wouldn't have over Willis.
To top it off, the No. 1 pick in Stroud's draft, Carolina's Bryce Young, is 31st. In case Packers fans were wondering, Aaron Rodgers clocks in at No. 26.
Not even the brightest of optimists could have predicted how the script has flipped. You have who ahead of Stroud and Hurts? Who?
All Willis has to prove is everything. Projections are projections, not hard evidence. But what there is of the latter has revived Willis's career and skyrocketed his stock. Let's check next season's list to see how far he rises.
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