Will Levis’ stay in the NFL Draft green room may be over, but the Kentucky quarterback is still awaiting the question of where he will play after going unpicked in the first round.
Once considered a top-five prospect, a despondent Levis found himself the center of attention Thursday night in Kansas City when three other quarterbacks were picked ahead of him. As a result, he opted not to attend the second night of the NFL Draft on Friday, where the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to kick off with the No. 32 shortly after 7 p.m. EST.
Bryce Young went first overall to the Carolina Panthers, followed by CJ Stroud to the Houston Texans for a 1-2 quarterback combo at the top of the draft Thursday. Then, with the fourth pick, the Indianapolis Colts took former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Colts owner Jim Irsay is raising eyebrows on Twitter hours before the start of the second round of the NFL draft by asking fans if the team should take Levis for a Joe Montana-Steve Young QB combo. The Colts have the fourth pick in the second round, 35th overall.
Montana and Young are both Pro Football Hall of Famers who have won Super Bowls in San Francisco. Young was Montana’s backup before replacing him.
The 23-year-old, joined by his girlfriend Gia Duddy, was expected to be a top-five pick
NO THANKS: Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, 23, was overlooked on draft night Thursday
Will Levis played for Kentucky in 2022 and 2021 after representing UPenn in 2019 and 2020
The Kentucky quarterback was projected as high as the second overall pick. Instead, he goes to round 2, still waiting for a team to buzz his phone, AP’s Arnie Stapleton writes.
Levis sat awkwardly, writhing at times in front of the TV cameras, as he watched three quarterbacks make the first four selections: Young for the Panthers, Stroud for the Texans, and Richardson for the Colts.
“Not shocked — surprised,” said ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who had projected Levis as a top-four pick. “Once it got into that no man’s land because no one needed a quarterback in the middle of the round, I thought maybe someone would jump in again. Maybe the Rams would.
“But the Rams choose early in the second round. Maybe they’re watching Will Levis,’ Kiper said. ‘You know, he had a great year. He was beaten from head to toe, he didn’t play nearly as well as he did in 2021, for obvious reasons – he was hurt, he couldn’t move. So I think teams had that against him more than I thought.”
Other mock artists thought that Levis could be the No. 2 overall.
“We all thought he’d be a top choice,” Kiper said, assuming that Levis would drop to Tampa Bay at No. 19. “Well, he got way beyond that. He is available in the second round.’
Just like Boomer Esiason, Brett Favre and Geno Smith once were.
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) throws a pass against Kentucky on October 29
Quarterbacks were back in fashion in Round 1 of the NFL draft – except Hendon Hooker of Levis and Tennessee, another intriguing prospect still on the board after being sidelined on a wild Thursday night with several surprise swaps, two running backs selected from the top dozen picks and a late run on a thin class of wide receivers.
WHO ARE THE BEST PLAYERS AVAILABLE?
Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker is another intriguing prospect still on the board after being sidelined on a wild Thursday night with several surprising swaps, two running backs selected from the top dozen picks and a late run on a thin class of wide receivers.
Hooker will be coming out of a torn ACL in November, so slipping into Day 2 was just a mild surprise for the 25-year-old passerby who this spring worried about his health, age and style of play just not enough to go into the first round .
Other players expected to go into the second round include tight ends Michael Mayer (Notre Dame) and Luke Musgrave (Oregon State), cornerbacks Brian Branch (Alabama), Joey Porter Jr. (Penn State) and Kelee Ringo (Georgia) and guard O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida).
WHO IS ON THE CLOCK IN THE SECOND ROUND?
The Steelers, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions have the first three picks in Round 2.
The Los Angeles Rams (36th overall) and Miami Dolphins (51st) will be in action in Round 2 after being spectators on Thursday night. The Rams traded their first round pick and the Dolphins were penalized by the league for tampering.
The Denver Broncos (67th) and Cleveland Browns (74th) have to wait for the third round, barring a trade to move up.
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer is expected to be eliminated in the second round on Friday
DESIGN PICKS SO FAR
AP College Football writer Ralph Russo analyzes all 31 picks from the first round, including Alabama defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was once expected to be the first overall pick and went ninth to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Carter’s stock fell after he pleaded guilty to two felonies (reckless driving and racing) and was sentenced in March to one year of probation and community service on charges of a car crash that killed a Georgia teammate and football executive.
Young, Stroud, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (Texans), Richardson and Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks) were the top five selections. Meanwhile, Kansas State defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah was the last player to be picked in the first round by the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.