ESPN Draft expert Matt Miller reveals why teams are falling in love with Will Levis

Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett was the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. A stacked QB class in 2023 won’t let that trend continue next year in Kansas City. Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s CJ Stroud lead a substantial crop of quarterback talent. ESPN Draft Expert Matt Miller provided a dark horse selection, though, in Kentucky’s Will Levis.

Miller made the prediction on ESPN’s Get Up when breaking down the 2023 draft class. He says Levis’ ability to air it out paired with another season against SEC competition has NFL teams absorbed by him as a prospect.

“NFL scouts are already in love with Kentucky’s Will Levis. I have spent the summer breaking down every throw he has made so far in his career and you can definitely see why,” said Miller. “The arm strength is there, he’s a little bit of a gunslinger. (Kentucky) asked him to throw the ball down the field a ton last year as well. In the SEC, he has had to go against Georgia and some of the best defenses in the nation. He is battle tested.”

Levis’ stock has shot up across the board since the end of the 2021 college football season. He led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record, a ranking as high as 11th in the AP Poll, and a Citrus Bowl win to end the year. Levis recently attended the Manning Passing Academy and was a standout at the event. All this momentum could lead to an even better season in 2022.

The one knock on Levis from Miller was his interception numbers. Last year was Levis’ first season as a full-time starter. It showed at points with some tough throws that padded his turnover numbers. A year of experience taking care of the football should cut down on them. The concern will be reining back on the turnovers while still being aggressive with his arm.

“He had 13 (interceptions) last year,” said Miller. “The key for me is cutting down on some of his interceptions while not taking away that gunslinger mentality of his that we all love so much.”

Levis could continue to fly his name up boards with another big season in Lexington. ESPN’s latest mock draft has him going eighth overall to the Detroit Lions. There may be no catching Young or Stroud for the top QB in the class. Still, Miller thinks Levis could cash in big by solidifying himself as a Top 10 pick or better.

“I think if you’re looking for a guy outside of Alabama, Ohio State and some of the big schools, Levis at Kentucky is certainly a player who could shoot up draft boards as we get into the season.”