With the Tennessee Titans moving up in the 2023 NFL Draft to select former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis in the second round, the writing seemed to be on the wall for 24-year-old quarterback Malik Willis, who the Titans selected out of Liberty in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Both players were deemed projects at the time of the draft, yet because Willis was thrown into the fire during his rookie center and looked especially unprepared, the Titans clearly lost confidence in the College Park native.

Nobody can blame Willis for Ryan Tannehill going down with an ankle injury, or for him looking out of place in his first year taking snaps under center. The fact that they fired their offensive coordinator from last season, Todd Downing, and replaced him with Tim Kelly is notable as well.

Nonetheless, in a results-driven league, Willis didn't produce enough — going 1-2 in three starts and throwing zero touchdowns to three interceptions while Tannehill was out — or look the part. Now, he finds himself in a backup quarterback competition with Levis, a player whose physical tools are more appealing from a traditional sense.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, speaking to reporters about the competition between the two signal-callers, would say that Willis has shown a “glaring improvement” since last season as he's earned praise for his improved comfort, command and decisiveness. Levis “learned what it takes to be an NFL [quarterback].” per NFL Nation's Turron Davenport.

With improvements to their receiving corps, including the addition of star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, each quarterback on the roster stands a better chance of excelling than they did last year. Noteworthy adjustments to their offensive line, including drafting guard Peter Skoronski, should help as well.