Will Levis Stock Watch: Pre NFL Combine
As NFL Draft season reaches a fever pitch, KSR is keeping you ahead of the curve by providing a one stop shop for everything people are are saying about former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. From Mel Kiper and Daniel Jeremiah, to Colin Cowherd and Rich Eisen, if they’re talking about Will Levis, it will be featured in the Will Levis Stock Watch.
As NFL officials descend upon Indianapolis, let’s take the temperature from every corner of the national media landscape to see where Levis falls in the perceived pecking order. This will surely change after he competes alongside CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper
Nobody is a bigger fan of Will Levis than the man who made the NFL Draft a year-round business. Mel Kiper ranks the Kentucky quarterback as the No. 3 overall available prospect in the draft, trailing only Jalen Carter and Will Anderson. Even though he likes Levis more than Stroud or Bryce Young, Kiper believes he’ll be picked behind the two. In his second mock draft published Tuesday morning, Kiper predicts Levis will land with the Carolina Panthers at No. 5 overall.
Levis’ stats won’t blow anyone away, but he didn’t have a great supporting cast of playmakers around him. He had 19 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions last season, and his 60.9 QBR ranked 59th in the country. But when I went through and watched all of his starts at Kentucky, I was really impressed with his game. Levis has a rocket launcher for an arm and makes some “wow” throws. That has gotten the Penn State transfer into trouble at times, but it’s clear watching him that he believes he can fit the ball into any window. My comparison for him is Matthew Stafford.
Levis played in a pro-style offense at Kentucky, and he’s not going to need much time to adjust to the NFL. He can maneuver the pocket and throw on the run. Many of Levis’ turnovers came when he tried to use his arm to force throws, and he’s going to be punished for mistakes at the next level. He is the real deal, though, and there are lots of Levis fans in the NFL.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
ESPN’s Todd McShay
Like so many times before, Todd, Todd, Todd is taking an inverse approach to his compadre when analyzing the Kentucky quarterback’s NFL potential. Where Kiper ranks Levis higher than his projected spot in the draft, McShay ranks Levis lower than where he ultimately believes he will be picked, much lower. In McShay’s post-Super Bowl mock draft, Levis goes to the Raiders at No. 7 overall, even though he believes the Kentucky QB is the No. 13 overall prospect in the NFL Draft.
A transfer from Penn State, Levis has a relatively quick release, and the ball jumps off his hand. He has a strong arm to drive the ball outside the hashes and vertically, but he’s more consistent with ball placement when he’s driving it on a rope than he is on touch throws that require him to layer the ball. He is light on his feet and shows good agility eluding the rush, knowing when to climb or slide to extend, but he took 36 sacks this season.
I’d like to see more reps featuring full-field progression reads and anticipatory downfield throws, and he needs to cut down on the interceptions (10 in 11 games this season and 13 in 2021). The decision-making remains a problem that will need to be coached up in the NFL. Levis had 2,406 passing yards and 19 touchdown throws while completing 65.4% of his passes in 2022.
Todd McShay, ESPN
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah
He’s not the most entertaining of the mock drafters, but he might have the most expertise. The former Chargers’ scout believes Will Levis will be a top ten pick, but ultimately ranks him as the No. 3 quarterback overall. In Jeremiah’s Mock Draft 2.0, Levis is off the board wit the No. 7 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Levis is an inconsistent player on tape, but he possesses ideal size, arm strength and athleticism. He is a power thrower, capable of fitting the ball into tight windows at the second and third levels. However, he needs to get more consistent underneath. He has bad misses, especially when throwing to the left. He tends to close off his front side, which severely impacts his ball placement. I admire his toughness to stand firm in the pocket, but his lack of awareness leads to him taking some monster hits, spawning ball-security issues. He moved around much better in 2021, showing quickness and power as a runner. This past fall, due to his own injuries and a lesser supporting cast, he wasn’t as effective. Overall, Levis is gifted, but has some bad habits he needs to clean up in order to be a reliable NFL starter.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler
The curator of “The Beast,” a 200+ page NFL Draft guide on every potential pick, ranks Will Levis is the No. 10 overall prospect in the class.
Will Levis struggled to live up to expectations as a senior in 2022, but I think there are more reasons than excuses behind his inconsistent play. There is no question that he needs to see things more quickly, but he is physically built for the pro game with impressive tools, intelligence and toughness worth developing.
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Brugler has not completed a mock draft since January, but in that exercise he picked the former Wildcat to go to the Houston Texans at No. 2 overall. One of Brugler’s colleagues at The Athletic, Nick Baumgardner, published a mock draft Tuesday morning sending Levis to the Panthers at No. 6 overall.
Pro Football Focus
The NFL Draft department at PFF believes Levis is the second-ranked quarterback behind Bryce Young and the No. 4 overall draft prospect.
Collin Cowherd Compares Will Levis to Eli Manning, Phillip Rivers
Cowherd believes Levis has a Hall of Fame ceiling. One player that could also fit into his argument is Daniel Jones, who played in the south for a non-traditional power in Duke. He was drafted higher than expected, and despite some early struggles, found a ton of success when he finally got the right coach in place this fall, Brian Daboll. The tools aren’t so different either, as Jones rushed for 708 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Other Prognosticators Pointing Will Levis to Las Vegas
NFL Free Agency will dramatically alter the equation, but the first big domino to fall makes Las Vegas a logical spot for Will Levis. Following Derek Carr’s departure, if they do not grab a veteran on the market, No. 7 feels like the right spot for the Kentucky quarterback, according to the Sporting News and NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks.
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