Kentucky football quarterback Will Levis drafted No. 33 overall by Tennessee Titans
Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis (7) poses with the Governor’s Cup trophy after the Kentucky vs. No. 25 Louisville football game on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky. UK won 26-13. Photo by Isabel McSwain | Staff
April 28, 2023
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was drafted No. 33 overall, the No. 2 pick in the second round, by the Tennessee Titans in the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday.
Levis played two years with Kentucky as the Wildcats’ starting quarterback, playing for two different offensive coordinators in his two seasons.
Standing at six-foot-four-inches and weighing in at 229 pounds, Levis became a highly touted prospect on the back of his “cannon for an arm.”
At the NFL Combine he received a 6.34 grade and a 81 by NFL Next Gen Stats.
His production score finished at 77 and his athleticism score finished at 84 for a total score of 81, the fifth highest for a quarterback in the class.
While a highly touted prospect for his upside, some had their doubts about the former Penn State Nittany Lion with NFL analyst Lance Zierlein comparing him to Jay Cutler, with the concerns ultimately leading to Levis being passed over in the first round entirely.
“Levis is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the draft, but there are warts in his game that might not be easily corrected,” Zierlein said. “He has prototypical size and experience operating in a pro-style passing attack. He’s an athletic passer, with the ability to zip off-platform throws with plus velocity from a compact release. He struggled to put together an extended period of high-caliber quarterback play in 2022, but was also dealing with injuries that he fought his way through for much of the season. Levis has the arm to beat coverages on all three levels, but inadequate placement and accuracy have created a lot of uncatchable throws. He’s a capable runner outside the pocket but needs to improve his feel for pressure and his consistency when throwing on the move. Levis’ talent is well worth an investment, but could require a talented quarterback coach and a patient plan to tighten up his mechanics, rebuild his confidence and explore an offensive scheme that best suits him.”
Now looking to continue his career with the Titans, the former Davey O’Brien Class of 2022 member will join talent such as Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, along with previous Tennessee’s draft pick: Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski.
