Thursday night, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was not selected in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft, falling further than anticipated.
Here is what you should know:
- According to Dan Brugler of The Athletic, Levis was ranked fourteenth overall and fourth among quarterbacks.
- During his four seasons with the Wildcats, the 6-3, 229-pound quarterback completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 5,880 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 25 interceptions.
- A couple of days prior to the NFL Draft, the odds on Levis being the No. 2 overall selection increased significantly. By Thursday, his chances had improved.
Levis’ reconnaissance report
Two-year starter at Kentucky, Levis had a promising 2021 campaign (31.8 points per game, 10 victories) in offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s scheme. However, he struggled with consistency in 2022, as the offense underwent a complete overhaul with Wan’Dale Robinson and multiple offensive linemen leaving for the NFL and Rich Scangarello replacing Coen, who departed to become the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams.
Levis is robust in the pocket, moves well for his bulk, and possesses a strong arm that allows him to throw with velocity and accuracy from a variety of platforms. However, defenses are able to instill doubt in him too readily, resulting in forced or inaccurate throws due to hesitation in his game.
Overall, Levis needs more reps to continue developing his read efficiency and ball placement, but he possesses the physical assets (size, arm, athleticism) and competitive tenacity of an NFL starter. Similarities to Carson Wentz should be viewed as both a positive and a negative, but he has the traits and potential of a starting quarterback. — Brugler