NFL Draft: Mass Native Will Levis Expected To Have Big Night

University of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has been the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from analysts and armchair general managers for months. But over the last week, Kentuck's Will Levis — a Newton, Massachusetts native who played high school football in Middletown, Connecticut — has been climbing draft boards to become one of football's hottest prospects.

Newton native Will Levis, who played high school football in Middletown, Connecticut, is quickly climbing analysts' draft boards ahead of Thursday's NFL Draft.
Photo Credit: *University of Kentucky Athletics Department*

Josh Lanier

04/27/2023 6:20 p.m.

Poll

Final Results Voting Closed

Do you think Will Levis should be the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft?

Yes
27%
No
40%
I don't know
33%

The Carolina Panthers are still expected to take Young with the first pick on Thursday night, April 27, according to Vegas oddsmakers. Though, Levis' draft stock has been on the rise. He went from a 40-to-1 chance to go No. 1 to 4-to-1 at DraftKings earlier this week.

Even if he doesn't take that coveted top spot, the NFL is full of teams in need of a competent signal caller, and Levis is not expected to linger long.

Several mock drafts have him going to the Houston Texans with the No. 2 pick or to Indianapolis at No. 4. He's battling Florida's Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud from Ohio State as the quarterbacks expected to be taken off the board following Young.

Levis' road to get here was a rocky one. He was a three-star recruit out of Xavier High School who began his collegiate career at Penn State, where he spent two years as a backup. The 23-year-old transferred to Kentucky in 2021 and began to show off his deep throws and quick feet.

That versatility is one of the reasons why the recent surge in betting for Levis to leapfrog Young for the No. 1 pick seemed believable.

Per NFL.com, Levis is full of upsides:

Levis is one of the most physically gifted quarterbacks in the draft, but there are warts in his game that might not be easily corrected. He has prototypical size and experience operating in a pro-style passing attack. He’s an athletic passer, with the ability to zip off-platform throws with plus velocity from a compact release.

Though, he has struggled with accuracy problems and injuries, which may give some NFL general managers pause.

Only time will tell if he can play at an NFL level, but he's sure to make a big splash Thursday night.

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