Will Levis in the Top 10 of Todd McShay's first 2023 NFL Mock Draft

MrsTylerKSR

With the college football postseason upon us, NFL Draft season is heating up. Yesterday, ESPN senior writer Todd McShay released his first 2023 mock draft and Will Levis is No. 6, going to the Atlanta Falcons. (The draft order is based on the ESPN Football Power Index’s simulations for the rest of the season.)

Levis is the third quarterback off the board in McShay’s mock. Alabama’s Bryce Young is No. 1, to the Houston Texans, and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is No. 4, to the Detroit Lions, which has been a popular landing spot for Levis in other projections. McShay likes Levis’ fit in Atlanta.

“The Falcons are yet another team that needs an upgrade at QB. Marcus Mariota flashed this season but ultimately hasn’t been a solution, and we’ll see what they get out of Desmond Ridder, who is set to start in Week 15. I’m envisioning Levis — who probably has the strongest arm in this class — driving the ball on a rope to Drake London and Kyle Pitts, or using his mobility and sturdy 232-pound frame to extend plays and contribute to Atlanta’s strong run game. Levis still needs some developing, especially when it comes to decision-making, but the traits are outstanding.

“With the rest of the NFC South all scrambling for answers under center after this season, Atlanta could be primed to emerge from the pack once Levis settles into the pro game and cleans up his mistakes.”

McShay also updated his NFL Draft prospect rankings and Levis is No. 13, ten spots lower than in his ESPN coworker Mel Kiper’s big board from last week. McShay praises Levis’ arm and mobility, but again raises concerns about his decision-making.

“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.”

Clearly, Levis is going to be one of the most polarizing prospects in the draft, making for a long four months of debate.

Will Levis talks draft, Kentucky career on Pin It Deep

Last night, Levis joined Max Duffy and Miles Butler on Pin It Deep to talk about his career at Kentucky and what’s next. When asked about all the draft buzz, Levis said the fact that he has more doubters than believers pushes him to succeed even more.

“It’s crazy, it’s really, really crazy. And, it’s important to see those things and not let them affect the preparation, whether it’s your undrafted or the No. 1 pick. It’s easy to kind of see that and get complacent, like, ‘Oh, I’ve arrived,’ or, ‘I’ve done everything I needed to do.’ If anything, for me too, I know there are more doubters than there are people supporting me.

“I try not to see or pay attention to anything people are saying but I know that there are people out there that don’t think that I have what it takes at the next level so I just try to focus and internalize those things and use it as motivation to work hard and prove those people wrong — more so, to prove myself right and reach the goals I set out for myself since I started playing ball.”

That’s the attitude we like to hear. Check out the rest of Levis’ appearance below or on the KSR YouTube channel.