Will Levis leaves Kansas City after NFL Draft fall
There will be no pained shots of Will Levis on the second night of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Levis reportedly is not remaining in Kansas City after surprisingly slipping all the way out of the first round.
The news was first reported by Nick Roush of Kentucky Sports Radio, an outlet that extensively covers the University of Kentucky, where Levis starred his junior and senior seasons.
NFL Network made mention of the news during its draft coverage on Friday.
Levis had been projected by many mock drafts to go in the top five, and there were even Reddit message board rumors that he would go first overall to the Panthers, which for a few hours wreaked havoc on the gambling odds.
Instead, Carolina selected Alabama quarterback Bryce Young first while the Texans picked quarterback C.J. Stroud out of Ohio State with the second pick.
Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson went fourth to the Colts.
Other teams that would have conceivably been in the market for a quarterback chose to address other needs.
Will Levis decided not to stay in Kansas City after slipping out of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Getty Images
As one team after another decided not to select Levis, there were a number of camera shots on ESPN that showed him getting consoled by his family and by his girlfriend, Gia Duddy.
NFL Network reported on Friday morning that teams looking to trade up were already in touch with the Steelers, who have the first pick of the second round, and believed to be targeting Levis.
There has been much speculation about what might have caused Levis to slip in the draft.
Will Levis at 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. Getty Images
“Will Levis’ left toe that caused him to miss two games last year was ‘problematic’ for one team that considered him,” ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweeted.
“Levis says the ‘toe has healed’ and good to go. Another team believes Levis could manage it but thought surgery would need discussion after season. Levis disagrees.”
Meanwhile, Todd McShay, an ESPN Draft analyst, said that some teams were concerned about Levis’ attitude.
“Just some reports, you don’t know who to trust this time of year but apparently he came off as not having an ideal personality,” Todd McShay revealed on “SportsCenter.”
“Some arrogance, some cockiness in his meetings. That’s a team-by-team basis, but ultimately the turnovers and style of play is an issue, too. He plays the quarterback position like a linebacker and we saw the toll it had on his body last year. A lot of teams I talked to were worried he was going to have a Carson Wentz case when it’s all said and done if he doesn’t learn how to protect his body better.”
Source: New York Post
