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The Detroit Lions, most folks have assumed, could be targeting a quarterback when all is said and done in 2023. Which quarterback at this point remains the only mystery for the team and fans.
There’s plenty to be decided on the field in 2022 to help in deciding this, of course, but folks dreaming about the next big name quarterback to join the Lions’ exciting rebuild can be forgiven. It seems that spot may be the final piece for the Lions in terms of rebuild completion.
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While early mocks have differed in where the Lions may pick, the theme so far remains the same. Most experts think the team will draft a quarterback, and several have had the team nabbing the big two in either Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young. There are others who could fly up the board, of course, and a new mock has the Lions landing one such player.
Insider Matt Miller put together his new mock draft, and while the Lions didn’t select near the top of the draft as in recent years, they were still safely nestled within the top 10 in the eight spot. There, he had the team drafting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. As Miller wrote, the focus for teams could be expanding past the top two options.
“Levis might no longer be a sleeper as he has entered the household conversation this summer. He has many fans in the NFL, thanks to his size (6-foot-3, 232 pounds), arm strength and gunslinger style of play. Of the top three quarterbacks, he might have the most well-rounded skill set as a thrower, scrambler and designed runner. Levis has to cut down on interceptions – he had 13 last season – but his 33 total touchdowns, including nine on the ground, have evaluators intrigued to see another season,” Miller wrote of Levis.
Most have assumed the Lions may have to land a top-five pick again to secure an elite quarterback, but as this shows, the focus could expand for the team. Even if they were better than many might expect on the field this year, they could still get their hands on an elite prospect a little ways down the board.
Levis has a lot to prove coming into another year, but with a good season, he could take a leap forward and perhaps be in the mix for a quarterback needy team like the Lions.
Levis’ College Stats & Highlights
While at Kentucky, Levis has been a big play waiting to happen for the Wildcats during his entire career statistically. Originally a Penn State transfer, Levis has put up 3,470 yards, 27 touchdowns and 15 interceptions through the air. He’s also claimed 849 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns so far into 2022.
Here’s a look at what Levis has done on the field so far in his career within a 2021 highlight package:
It’s clear there is some major talent there for Levis to rely on, and he will be one of the more sought after prospects if he tests well and goes through the process as others have. Given the talent in the SEC, it isn’t a stretch to think that the Lions could indeed decide to tap Levis in the end when all is said and done. All eyes will be on him to see what happens during the 2022 season at Kentucky.
2023 Quarterback Class Looking Very Loaded
As weak as the 2022 quarterback class seemed on the outset, the 2023 class could prove to be just the polar opposite. From the aforementioned Bryce Young to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, there will be no shortage of elite players that could choose to come out, which means the Lions could have a better shot at finding their quarterback of the future next year rather than this season. Levis is just another name coming into focus.
Young claimed the Heisman Trophy for his work in the 2021-22 season, and only figures to improve as a passer and a player next year. Already, there’s a notion that he could be good enough to be a shoo-in for the top overall pick in 2023. Here’s a look at how the debate has already centered on his candidacy for the top selection in 2023 on ESPN:
Whether or not the Lions will be bad enough in 2022 to land the top pick and have the first shot at Young or Stroud remains to be seen. The team showed signs of late promise amid a losing year in 2021, and with more improvements, could win a few more games next season. The point stands, however, that the draft class figures to be more well-rounded next year than this year.
Levis could become a new option for fans to remember to watch ahead of the 2022 college football season.
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