Today’s scouting report revolves around another one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.
Levis is unquestionably one of the more talented signal-callers in this class. However, his recent play throughout the 2022 season leaves a lot to be desired.
Naturally, the starting quarterback is going to get the bulk of the blame, but in order to get a better idea as to what went wrong, you have to study much more than his box scores.
Admittedly, I am not as high on him as others, but I completely understand why a lot of people would be interested in the long-term potential of someone like the Massachusetts native.
This article is going to take a deeper dive into everything revolving around the Kentucky quarterback.
Before we get started, a quick reminder that all of the grades and individual rankings that are included are my own opinions after spending the last few months studying each of these individuals.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into today’s prospect profile.
College accolades
- 17-7 career record as starting QB at Kentucky.
- Fifth-most passing TDs in school history (43).
- Sixth-most passing yards in UK history (5,233).
2022 stats
- Passing yards: 2,406
- Passer rating: 151.9
- Passing touchdowns: 19
- Interceptions: 10
- Turnover-worthy percentage: 3.6
- Big-time throw rate: 2.3
- Adjusted completion percentage: 75.6
Measurables
- Height: 6’4’’
- Weight: 229 Pounds
- Hand Size: 10 5/8 ”
- Arm length: 32”
- 40-time: TBD
- RAS: TBD
Grades, projections, and rankings
- Overall grade: 78.2 (second round)
- Ceiling projection: No. 1 pick
- Floor projection: Top-10 pick
- Position rank: QB4
- Consensus rank: QB3
Reasons to buy in
- Has the prototypical size and all the physical tools (strong arm, compact release, etc.) at his disposal to eventually develop into a special QB if a team is patient with his development.
- His elite arm strength allows him to attack all three levels of the field, regardless if he’s standing in the pocket or throwing off-platform.
- Willing to play through minor injuries to give his team a chance.
- Is capable of threading the needle on tight-window throws.
- Already has experience with running a pro-style system.
- His competitive drive didn’t back down to anybody in the SEC despite being asked to shoulder the load for an offense that was riddled with inferior talent in 2022.
- Big-bodied QB that can hold his own in the run game, while also being able to stand in the pocket and let it rip in the face of pressure.
Areas of concern
- Inconsistent footwork causes a ton of inaccurate passes that are mostly avoidable if he were more technically sound.
- Needs to be more consistent with staying on time when throwing with anticipation. Occasionally struggles to stay in sync with his WRs.
- Ball placement can be erratic at times – far too many occasions where he completes the pass, but his ball placement doesn’t allow his receiver to make a play after the catch.
- True boom-or-bust prospect.
- Could do a better job of being more manipulative with his eyes.
- Would great benefit if he got the chance to slowly learn behind an established veteran QB for at least one season.
- Must to do a better job at limiting turnovers at the next level.
- For someone who is considered a big-armed QB that is capable of “wow” plays, having the 156th-best “big-time throw rate” (2.3%) in the country is rather underwhelming.
Conclusion and clips
You could make a strong argument that Will Levis has the best arm talent in the entire draft.
There isn’t a single throw that he’s incapable of making on any level of the field.
The biggest problem with the Kentucky quarterback surrounds his overall decision-making and underdeveloped fundamentals.
For starters, Levis’ ball placement can be erratic, largely due to inconsistent lower-body mechanics.
The former Kentucky star makes things much harder than they have to be at times, especially when he doesn’t step into his throws and solely relies on his arm talent to make things happen.
This often results in inconsistent ball placements that end up being incompletions, interceptions, or unnecessarily difficult catches for his receivers to make.
Even worse, he combines these inconsistencies with a raw ability to make adequate reads on the field.
Levis is actually cerebral with his subtle movements in order to manipulate the defense, but there are far too many times when he predetermines where he is going with the ball and stares down his target.
This leads to a ton of ugly looking incompletions and turnovers, both of which he has to limit at the next level if he’s going to reach his full potential.
Some of these negative plays would be avoidable if he were simply more aware of what the defense was trying to do instead of just forcing things blindly.
Yes, you could say that he was mostly just trying to elevate an inferior team in a superior conference, but some of his plays are simply inexcusable.
The young quarterback also occasionally became scattershot under pressure, which is not surprising, considering the lack of protection he suffered from all year long.
But ideally, you would rather him keep his eyes downfield instead of looking at the pass-rush and panicking.
On the plus side, Levis at his best can truly be a special quarterback who is capable of dropping a bomb right over the head of the nearest defender and ripping lasers into tight windows while on the move.
The Kentucky legend presents a legitimate threat on the ground, as well.
He may not have that game-breaking gear or anything like that, but he is athletic and big enough to have a package of plays designed for him in the run game.
Levis would be at his best in an NFL offense that utilizes play-action so he can take advantage of overly aggressive defenses with his athleticism and arm strength.
Lastly, one of the most intriguing things about the former Wildcat is his experience with running a pro-style offense.
A lot of quarterbacks will go through a massive learning curve when making the transition from college to the pros. That process will be much smoother for someone like Levis, who won’t be foreign to these types of advanced concepts.
Not to mention the fact that he’s seen first hand what it’s like to be tasked with single-handedly elevating an entire team, something he will likely have to do again if he is drafted to a rebuilding squad.
Truth be told, the talented young signal-caller isn’t perfect by any means, but he wasn’t exactly given a realistic chance to succeed in 2022 due to the lack of talent that surrounded him.
To say that his offensive line and weaponry severely regressed from 2021 to 2022 would be a massive understatement.
Any team that drafts Levis will have to ensure its not only patient with him, but it must do a much good job of putting adequate pieces around him to work with so he can have a real chance to succeed.
Simply put, Levis is a true boom-or-bust prospect that is either going to make a front office look smart for betting on his talent, or complete idiots for ignoring all of the obvious warning signs.
