Will Levis lands inside top-10 of ESPN's latest mock draft

It’s a huge content week for those in the draft scouting community. Over the last few days, we’ve seen big boards and an important watchlist. In each, Kentucky has been involved. Most noticeably, quarterback Will Levis is a popular man.

Both PFF and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler list the redshirt as a top-50 prospect with the latter having the former Penn State transfer as QB3 in this cycle. All that was left was to see Levis in an early mock draft before the games begin in 2022.

That happened on Thursday when ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his latest mock draft. Levis is going off the board at No. 8 overall to the Detroit Lions.

“Levis is instinctive, tough and still ascending. He fits the mold of what the Lions have moved toward during the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes regime,” writes Reid. “Jared Goff is a serviceable placeholder, but Levis could be someone Detroit could build around.”

Currently, the Lions are the team being featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” as people around the country are turning into fans of Campbell and how he runs his team. The Lions are ascending after two good drafts but still need assets added to the roster. Eventually, the organization needs to invest in a young quarterback. Will Levis could be a good answer for the NFC North franchise.

“He has a strong arm and plenty of mobility. Levis is a work in progress, though, and I’d like to see him develop his decision-making this season,” writes Reid. “He threw for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2021, and he ran for 376 more yards and nine more TDs.”

Will Levis is on the NFL’s radar and is once again considered QB3 in this draft class behind C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) and Bryce Young (Alabama). If Kentucky’s quarterback is able to take the next step, it could mean big things on the field for Mark Stoops and his program this fall.