2023 NFL Draft: What Went Wrong for Kentucky QB Will Levis?

• Will Levis was not selected in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night
• NFL teams had concerns regarding Levis’ toe injury he suffered during his senior year
• Levis’ production dropped during his final season at Kentucky

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is done and dusted, and to everyone’s surprise, Will Levis is still available.

Many expected the Kentucky quarterback to go in the top 10, but that projection didn’t materialize.

What transpired was Levis not getting picked at all on Day 1, a stunning free fall, to say the least.

Levis stuck in green room

Levis was among 17 rookies invited to attend the first round of the NFL Draft in Kansas City.

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The 23-year-old quarterback was one of four players who didn’t hear his name called. The other players who were left remaining in the green room were Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White, Alabama defensive back Brian Branch, and Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. 

Some pundits and experts had the Indianapolis Colts selecting him with the fourth pick. The Colts did choose a quarterback with that pick, but they went with Florida star Anthony Richardson instead.

Teams concerned with Levis' toe

So, what happened to Levis’ draft stock?

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, one team that considered drafting Levis had an issue with a left toe injury he suffered last year. That caused Levis to miss two games, which was problematic for that NFL team.

Mortensen added that another NFL team thought surgery would need to be considered to address Levis’ problem with his toe.

Levis rejected those claims, though, saying his toe had healed already.

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Levis' turnovers hurt his stock

NFL executives also had concerns regarding his performances the past two seasons, particularly with his decision-making and passing accuracy.

Levis threw a whopping 23 picks in 24 games over the last two seasons.

His production also dropped during his senior year at Kentucky.

Levis threw for 2,826 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2021. Those numbers significantly fell off in 2022, with Levis passing for just 2,406 yards and 19 touchdowns.

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