Considering his unparalleled mix of talent, skill and physical profile—Carolina Panthers great Cam Newton really shouldn’t draw many, if any, comparisons. But if there’s a man who can try to make one, it’s the guy who drafted and spent nine of his best seasons with him.
That man, of course, is Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera—who spoke with CBS Sports at the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday. When asked of Liberty University’s Malik Willis, the budding favorite to be the first quarterback taken in the upcoming draft, he drew a bit of a line from the 22-year-old to the former Most Valuable Player.
“You know what’s interesting about him, in particular, is there are a lot of similar traits to these guys that’ve had success in our league,” Rivera said of Willis. “And I was fortunate enough to have drafted one of them in Cam Newton, who’s a very special player.”
The traits Rivera is referring to, obviously, are Willis’ dual-threat abilities as a passer and rusher. Quarterbacks with big-time arms and big-time legs—Newton, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray—have significantly altered how the game has been played in recent years.
Over 23 games with the Flames between 2020 and 2021, Willis paired his 47 passing touchdowns with his 27 scores on the ground. He rushed for a total of 1,872 yards in those two seasons while completing 62.4 percent of his passes at 8.4 yards per attempt.
Coincidentally, Rivera’s Commanders and his old buds over in Carolina are both in the market for a new starting quarterback. And while the two-time NFL Coach of the Year did express his preference for a veteran under center, he did wax poetic about Willis’ potential at the pro level.
“This young man has a tremendous skill set,” he added. “Will some of those things he does translate? Absolutely. Will there be some things he’ll have to learn and develop and grow on? Absolutely. But I can tell you I’ve had the opportunity to interview him—he’s a heck of a young man. And he shows he’s got the football acumen you need to be successful in this league.”
It’s also quite fitting that Rivera brought up Newton while discussing Willis considering the 2022 prospect once played under Cam in his 7v7 program. So maybe it’s not a bad connection to make after all.
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