Todd McShay shares biggest concern with Will Levis

Will Levis could be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That statement alone brings a wide range of opinions. Fans, analysts, scouts and even those in front offices throughout the NFL have mixed feelings about the Kentucky star.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay joined Field Yates and Mel Kiper on the ESPN First Draft podcast to discuss Levis and the concerns he, and others throughout the league have on him.

“The one thing that concerns me — he’s mobile and I love how he plays the quarterback position like a linebacker, I love that to a certain extent — the one thing is, does he see the whole field?” McShay asked. “There are a lot of plays on tape where you watch from behind, you’ve got the sideline view and the end zone view. A lot of plays where you see his head dip down when pressure is coming.

“It’s great to have mobility in today’s NFL, but if you aren’t feeling pressure, if you’re not comfortable sliding if the pressure is coming from the inside, or climbing when the pressure is coming from the outside, then the mobility kind of gets erased a little bit.”

McShay said he talked to two NFL General Managers within a weeks span about Levis’s pro potential. One said they see a lot of Josh Allen in him — the other said they’re worried he’ll pan out to have a Carson Wentz type of career. Two completely different ends of the spectrum.

The worries go from the top to the bottom. Even scouts have their reservations about the Kentucky QB.

“Every scout I’ve talked to on the road is saying, ‘Does he see it? Does he see the field when he’s stuck inside the pocket when things start to collapse around him,'” McShay said.

Still, the Chicago Bears — a team not actively searching for a quarterback — has the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Rumors of trade possibilities have made their runs throughout social media, and if that ends up being the case, Levis well could be the first pick when the draft kicks off on April 27.