ESPN: Will Levis' Toe Injury Cause of Draft-Day Slide; Team Feels QB May Need Surgery
April 28, 2023
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was widely projected to go in the top five of this year's NFL draft (and perhaps as high as No. 2), but he's still on the board after the first round came and went without a team selecting him.
It turns out that a toe injury may be a cause for Levis' slide, per ESPN's Chris Mortensen.
Chris Mortensen @mortreportWill Levis' left toe that caused him to miss two games last year was "problematic " for one team that considered him.<br>Levis says the "toe has healed" and good to go.<br>Another team believes Levis could manage it but thought surgery would need discussion after season. <br>Levis…
ESPN's Todd McShay also provided his take on the slide to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, noting concerns about turnover percentage, issues with trusting his eyes in the pocket and his style of play "taking a toll on his body" (conversation begins at 1:53 mark).
Levis' size (6'4", 229 lbs) and powerful arm raised his predraft profile, although concerns existed about his accuracy and mechanics.
Still, he was a popular prospect heading into Thursday night. He was lumped into a top-tier quartet alongside Alabama's Bryce Young, Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Florida's Anthony Richardson. They went first, second and fourth overall, respectively, while Levis is still waiting to hear his name called.
It's not uncommon for quarterbacks to undergo draft-day slides. Aaron Rodgers was in the running for the No. 1 choice in the 2005 NFL draft but ended up going No. 24 to the Green Bay Packers. He turned out OK, with four NFL MVP awards and a Lombardi Trophy under his belt.
Geno Smith was talked about as a top prospect in 2013 but ended up sliding to Round 2 to the New York Jets. He bounced around the league for the better part of a decade but just enjoyed an amazing career renaissance with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 en route to Comeback Player of the Year honors.
But Levis' draft day slide doesn't have to define his career. He may have a longer-than-usual wait in the green room, but he should have a chance to flip the script and prove his critics wrong.
In the meantime, he's received some support from New York Jets star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, four players are left in the NFL draft green room live from Kansas City: Levis, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr., Alabama defensive back Brian Branch and Georgia Tech edge-rusher Keion White.