QB - Will Levis - QB - Kentucky
Welcome to the rookie profile for Will Levis. If you’re going into the 2023 rookie draft looking for the prototypical pocket passer, look no further as I bring you, Will Levis. Levis is going to be the most polarizing quarterback in this draft class. Those who love him will be confident that he is the second coming of Josh Allen, while those who hate him will tell you he is nothing more than Jay Cutler 2.0. Regardless of what you believe, Levis has all the tools to be an elite quarterback for years to come. If Levis lands in the right spot at the NFL Draft he could easily develop into a Ben Roethlisberger-type quarterback.
Measurables
Height: 6′ 4″
Weight: 229 lbs
Age: 24
40-yard dash: DNP
3-cone drill: DNP
20-yard shuttle: DNP
Vertical Jump: 34″
Broad Jump: 10-4
Bench Press: DNP
*age is at the start of player’s rookie year
College Stats
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2019 | Penn State | Big Ten | SO | QB | 6 | 28 | 47 | 59.6 | 223 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 2 | 2 | 105.0 |
| 2020 | Penn State | Big Ten | SO | QB | 8 | 33 | 55 | 60.0 | 421 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 130.3 |
| *2021 | Kentucky | SEC | JR | QB | 13 | 233 | 353 | 66.0 | 2826 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 24 | 13 | 148.3 |
| *2022 | Kentucky | SEC | SR | QB | 11 | 185 | 283 | 65.4 | 2406 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 19 | 10 | 151.9 |
| Career | Overall | 479 | 738 | 64.9 | 5876 | 8.0 | 7.7 | 46 | 25 | 145.6 | ||||
| Penn State | 61 | 102 | 59.8 | 644 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 3 | 2 | 118.6 | |||||
| Kentucky | 418 | 636 | 65.7 | 5232 | 8.2 | 8.0 | 43 | 23 | 149.9 | |||||
Notable Headlines
Will Levis was a 3-star recruit coming out of Xavier High School where he turned down multiple Ivy League scholarship offers to attend Penn State.
He redshirted as a true freshman with Penn State in 2018 and played in only 6 games in 2019 where he threw for an unimpressive 223 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
In 2020 with Penn State, Levis played in only 8 games where he totaled 421 yards passing with 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions.
Levis transferred to Kentucky for his junior season in 2021 where he exploded onto the scene throwing for 2,826 yards with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 13 games en route to being named team captain. Will was also named The Walter Comp Connecticut Player of the Year.
Will returned to Kentucky for his senior season in 2022 where his stats took a slight hit due to a combination of issues such as poor offensive line play and losing the majority of his skilled weapons to the NFL. Despite this, he still managed to throw for 2,406 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Scouting Report
Positives
For Levis, the positives are obvious. His physical traits resemble that of a prototypical quarterback. At 6’4” and 230 lbs he is the perfect physical quarterback specimen.
His lightning-quick release, paired with a cannon of an arm and pinpoint accuracy give him the highest upside since Trevor Lawrence.
Levis is extremely intelligent and even behind a poor offensive line his intelligence allowed him to make plays when his protection broke down.
His rushing ability may not be at the level of the elite rushing quarterbacks but Levis should have a solid rushing floor similar to that of the aforementioned Lawrence.
Negatives
Despite Levis’s long list of physical traits, his negatives are glaring. Levis is an extremely raw talent who is going to need time as well as the right coach to develop to his full potential.
Levis has very raw and inconsistent mechanics which lead to erratic throws at times, normally resulting in an interception.
Although Levis has the intelligence to be an elite quarterback he sometimes struggles to read defenses and needs to develop more patience in the pocket.
The final flaw in Levis’s game is his touch on the ball. Levis often relies too heavily on his arm strength and tries to force rocket throws into tight coverage instead of waiting for the play to develop and dropping in a throw with a little less zip on it.
Pre Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital- Top 10 Pick
Ideal Landing Spot- Carolina Panthers
Levis would benefit from going to a stable team with a coach who has a proven track record of developing young quarterbacks. The ideal fit for him would be the Carolina Panthers and their newly hired head coach Frank Reich. Reich is the “QB whisperer” and there are few coaches I would trust more to develop Levis to his full potential.
The Panthers showed signs of life in 2022 and in the weak NFC South could easily find themselves as contenders with the right quarterback. The Panthers aren’t loaded up and down the roster with weapons but DJ Moore makes for a desirable target for a rookie quarterback.
Post Draft Analysis
Tennessee Titans – Round 2, Pick 33
Landing Spot
The Tennessee Titans are on the brink of a full rebuild as they attempt to milk the last life out of Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, so it came as little surprise when the Titans traded up to select Will Levis early in round two. The Titans appear to be content with Tannehill as their starter for one more season and ultimately that may be best for the long-term development of Levis, allowing him to sit for a year and learn behind the veteran can only help to refine his raw skill set. All the tools are there and if this coaching staff and Tannehill can help him to develop them he figures to be the sure-fire quarterback of the future.
Fantasy Impact
Levis figures to have little value in redraft leagues. He will likely sit on the bench behind Tannehill for most of his rookie campaign, if he does manage to force his way into the lineup at some point late in the season it will likely be on a team that is well out of the playoff hunt.
The dynasty’s outlook on him is far different. If he can sit as a rookie and learn the ropes he has the size and arm strength to be an elite passer in the NFL for many years to come. He isn’t regarded as a great rusher however, he has the size and speed to take off with the ball and run when the opportunity presents itself. By no means am I saying Levis will turn into Josh Allen but his traits and skill set could see him on a similar path, much like Allen he has enormous size and speed and is your prototypical quarterback and exactly like Allen he struggled with accuracy? If Levis can fix his accuracy issues a top-five fantasy finish could be well within reach.
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Image Credit: Jordan Prather – USA TODAY Sports
