Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Dave Ziegler.
Many mock drafts didn’t come close to being correct for the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Perhaps the biggest surprise involved the quarterback. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson all came off the board within the first four picks.
Will Levis was thought to be a top-five pick but nobody would’ve guessed he’d fall out of the first round. That’s exactly what ended up happening as the former Kentucky quarterback had to awkwardly wait in the green room until the first round ended. ESPN analytics believed there was less than a 0.1% chance that he wouldn’t be selected in the first round but that’s what ended up happening.
Levis is now the most interesting player to watch on Day 2 of the draft. The Las Vegas Raiders had interests in the quarterbacks this year but when the top three were off the board when they picked, it was clear they were going to go in a different direction. However, there were mock drafts that thought the Raiders would take Levis. With pick No. 38, they could have a chance to land the quarterback in the second round. In a mock draft for the second round, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports predicts Las Vegas will be able to land Levis at pick No. 38.
“Levis lands with Josh McDaniels as the understudy to Jimmy Garoppolo. Shrewd choice here by the Raiders.
Could Levis Now Be the Steal of the Draft?
Teams clearly didn’t like the idea of using a first-round pick on Levis but using a second-round pick on him is much more appealing. He’s got great size and a cannon for an arm. He needs to work on his pocket presence and cut down on the bad throws but he still has big-time potential.
Levis was coached by former Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen at Kentucky and he was surprised to see the quarterback slip. Coen believes that the future is still very bright for Levis.
“Whoever gets this kid is going to get the steal of the draft,” Coen said in a text message to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “I can’t imagine him having to wait around long.”
Text from Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen on his old QB Will Levis, still available headed into Round 2: “Whoever gets this kid is going to get the steal of the draft. I can’t imagine him having to wait around long.”
Steelers have heard from 4 teams on the 32nd pick.
Raiders Were Impressed With Levis
The Raiders have already passed on Levis once but they may not do it twice. They still have some major needs on defense and there are really good players left on the board. However, Levis’s tantalizing traits might make him too good to pass up in the second round. He has been compared to Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen. According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, the Raiders were impressed with Levis when they met with him.
“Levis has prototypical size, possesses a huge arm and wields legit rushing ability, so he has a high ceiling,” Reed wrote. “And, according to a league source, the Raiders were impressed by the fact that he showed he can handle advanced offensive schemes in college.”
There are concerns about Levis’s health and if he can develop into a good NFL quarterback. The risk is far less substantial in the second round than it is in the top 10. The Raiders are likely to add a quarterback at some point in the draft and it’ll be interesting if they choose to address the position in the second round.
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