KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was projected as high as the second overall pick in the NFL draft. Instead, he's heading to Round 2 still waiting for a team to buzz his phone.
The standout quarterback was highly touted by scouts and football experts alike, with some projecting him as high as the No. 4 pick overall.
That didn't prove to be the case on draft night, as quarterbacks Bryce Young of Alabama, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Anthony Richardson of Florida were all selected before Levis.
With his size, arm strength and battle-tested experience in the SEC, Levis has the potential to be a tremendous asset for any team that calls his name Friday.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who had projected Levis as a top-four pick, says the Rams could be a home for Levis.
"Maybe they look at Will Levis,” Kiper said. “You know, he had the banged up year. Head to toe he was beat up, didn't play nearly as well as he did in 2021, for obvious reasons — he was hurt, he couldn't move. So, I guess teams held that against him more than I thought they would.”
The physical quarterback impressed NFL scouts through his participation in the NFL combine and pro day at UK.
“We all thought he'd be a first-round pick,” Kiper said, figuring at worst that Levis would drop to Tampa Bay at No. 19. “Well, he got down a lot further than that. He's available in the second round.”
Just like Boomer Esiason, Brett Favre and Geno Smith once were.
Quarterbacks were back en vogue in Round 1 of the NFL draft — except for Levis and Tennessee's Hendon Hooker, another intriguing prospect still on the board after being bypassed on a wild Thursday night that featured several surprising swaps, two running backs selected among the top dozen picks and a late run on a thin class of wide receivers.
Levis transferred to Kentucky from Penn State in 2021, winning the starting QB job and leading the team to a 10-3 season. He totaled 3,202 offensive yards in his first year with the Cats, completing 233 of 353 passes for 2,827 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also rushed for 376 yards and a team-high tying nine rushing touchdowns.
In his senior year, Levis shot out of the gate but was hampered by injuries, including a turf-toe injury that bogged him down the rest of the season. Levis finished the 2022 season completing 185 of 283 passes for 2,406 and 19 touchdowns.
He decided to sit out the team’s outing to the Music City Bowl along with three-year starting running back Chris Rodriguez. In his career at UK, Levis completed 65.7% of his passes for 43 passing touchdowns and 11 rushing touchdowns as a Wildcat.
Levis began his playing career at Penn State, where he was a backup for two seasons.
There are 10 other UK football players with hopes of being drafted. They include defensive back Tyrell Ajian, punter Colin Goodfellow, linebacker Jacquez Jones, offensive lineman Tashawn Manning, running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., kicker Matt Ruffolo, defensive back Keidron Smith, linebacker DeAndre Square, defensive back Carrington Valentine and linebacker Jordan Wright.
Under coach Mark Stoops, 23 former Wildcats have been drafted by NFL teams, 17 of which have been drafted in the last four years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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