28 April 2023 , 13:17
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NFL franchises will have a decision to make on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft after the shocking slide of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis that had echoes of Aaron Rodgers in 2005.
The Kentucky prospect was projected by almost every analyst to be a first round pick, potentially going as high as second or third on opening night with several teams in need of a new quarterback and a fresh start at the position.
However after Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers), CJ Stroud (Houston Texans) and Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts) were selected in the first four picks, Levis' options dried up and his slide was one of the most surprising stories in Kansas City.
Almost 20 years ago, Rodgers had been widely expected to be the first overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers but he dropped all the way to 24th, where he was picked by the Green Bay Packers in the process as the 49ers opted for Alex Smith. Rodgers famously told the media that he wasn't as disappointed as San Francisco would be that they hadn't drafted him.
Fast forward to 2023 and Levis will have similar hopes after an agonising Day One ended with him still waiting on his new home. As the night progressed, cameras panned to the green room where Levis was waiting alongside his family, and with mobile phone in hand, for the call that could change his life.
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But teams like the Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions opted against a young signal caller and focused on positions of need.
Perhaps more surprisingly still, teams like the Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings, who are in need at the position but were potentially seen as too far down the board to land him, also shunned a move so far for the 23-year old who made headlines pre-draft for eating a banana with the skin on and putting mayonaise in his coffee.
Bryce Young was the first of three quarterbacks to be selected in the top four picks (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)ESPN's Todd McShay reports that teams had concerns over his personality and his style of play and that may have been responsible for him being overlooked on Thursday.
"There are so many good things about Will Levis but there were some negatives," McStay said at the end of ESPN's Draft night coverage.
"If you look at the 23 interceptions over the last two years only two guys were worse than him - the percentage of turnovers was a problem. Also, you don't know who to trust at this time of year but he came off as not having ideal personality, maybe some arrogance and some cockiness in meetings.
"That is a team-by-team basis but ultimately the turnovers and the style of play is an issue because he played quarterback like a linebacker. A lot of teams are worried he may be a Carson Wentz case if he doesn't learn how to protect his body."
With two days and six more rounds of selections still to come it's far from over for Levis, and his slide now makes for a fascinating story to follow on Friday night when the draft gets going again with the second and third round.
The Pittsburgh Steelers own the 32nd pick and may well be a candidate to trade back for a franchise that are ready to halt Levis' drop and willing to move up to the first pick of the second round to make sure they get him.
Geno Smith has signed a new deal with Seattle but the Seahawks are contenders to potentially make a move for a quarterback in the second half (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)The Lions, having passed with their first two selections, were heavily linked with a move for a quarterback despite head coach Dan Campbell's insistence they were happy with Jared Goff. The Seahawks at 37 and Raiders at 38 may also think a second round pick on Levis makes more sense than a first, with Geno Smith and Jimmy Garoppolo respectively unlikely to be long-term answers under centre.
Other options could emerge such as the Los Angeles Rams who pick at 36 and are rebuilding with doubts over the long-term fitness of Matthew Stafford. Tennessee select at 41 and have been doing a lot of prep work on the quarterbacks, initially with the belief they were ready to trade up from the 11th spot in the first round.
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Atlanta and Washington have second year quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell alongside veteran names so the Levis option is one they could explore, but the latter in particular may opt to wait until new ownership is in place with Dan Snyder poised to sell the franchise to a consortium featuring Magic Johnson.
Tampa Bay are still searching for the man to replace Tom Brady who retired for a second time a couple of months ago and currently have Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask under contract.
The Minnesota Vikings are also are a contender, but they don't pick until 88 so it would require a big trade up to get Levis, but he was paired with the franchise in multiple mock drafts and there remains the possibility of a wild card coming into the mix for a player no-one expected to fall this far.
It promises to be an intriguing start to the day's action with one of the initially most sought after prospects at the game's most important position available, and even more than before he'll enter the league with a point to prove - and that never did Rodgers any harm.