Todd McShay reveals the biggest questions NFL teams have about Kentucky QB Will Levis
Todd McShay hasn’t been one of the draft analysts that has necessarily been in love with Will Levis. He has been fairly hesitant with the Kentucky quarterback in his evaluations considering his intel and what he has seen from him throughout the draft process.
Now, Levis took another hit from McShay as he was dropped in his latest mock draft. McShay has the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selecting him with the No. 14 pick in the NFL Draft after trading up with the New England Patriots.
In an appearance on Get Up this morning on ESPN, he said it has nothing to do with Levis’ physicality or some of his intangibles. To him, it comes down to some of his throwing mechanics and how it could continue to hurt him when it comes to ball security.
“Will Levis? I had him dropping,” said McShay. “Listen. Big arm, strong, physical guy, really good mobility, heart of a lion. But, on the opposite side, I question his instincts inside the pocket. He’s a bodybuilder now, just ripped. And you see it in his throwing with a tight upper body.”
“There’s concerns about him protecting the football. 23 interceptions the last two years, which is the third worst in the FBS,” McShay said. “So there’s a lot of questions with Levis.”
McShay continued to explain his reasoning within his mock draft. When it comes to the Bucs, they are in need of quarterback talent in order to replace Tom Brady. However, even if they were to select Levis, he doesn’t think they’ll feel pressure to throw him out there as their sure-fire starter with Kyle Trask and Baker Mayfield already there.
“Levis has some stuff to work on, namely his footwork and turnover avoidance. But he has the physical traits to be a franchise quarterback,” wrote McShay. “He comes from a pro-style offense, has a massive arm and can tuck and run with physicality. And with Mayfield and Trask on the roster? Tampa Bay doesn’t have to rush him into the starter’s chair right out of the gate.”
The knock on Levis continues to be his interception numbers. While other opinions on his game have wavered back and forth, that one has remained constant. He has some reasons as to how he ended up with nearly two dozen picks as a starting quarterback but, nonetheless, cleaning that up is going to be vital for his evaluation and then success at the next level.
The 2023 NFL Draft is one that is and will be populated by top quarterbacks from the very start. Even so, it seems Levis is becoming the odd man out as we get closer to the first round in Kansas City, at least in McShay’s opinion.