Will Levis 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Profile, Outlook & Player Comparison

The 2023 NFL Draft is nearly here, and it’s time to get to know your incoming rookie class. NFL Draft expert Thor Nystrom breaks down top prospect Will Levis. You can find all of Thor’s 2023 NFL Draft rankings and player previews here.

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2023 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Will Levis

Will Levis | Kentucky | 6040/229 | RAS: N/A

Player comparison: Jay Cutler

Strengths

Live-wire player in every sense. Big, strapping, athletic quarterback with an enormous right arm. That arm has flashes of crazy talent. Has throws on tape where his feet aren’t set that’ll drop your jaw. Levis’ deep balls are gorgeous. The ball comes out of his hands with smoke rings when he’s trying to drive it through a window. Strong accuracy when his mechanics are sound.

Levis has the ability to tuck a ball perfectly between two defensive backs more than 20 yards downfield. Those throws where the placement matches the arm it took to get it there are why the NFL is excited about him. No wasted motion on the release — gets it out quickly. Extremely tough kid. Played through multiple nagging injuries last year. Admirable guts in the pocket. Stands tall as long as possible and is willing to take the shot to uncork a ball. Above-average athleticism for his size. Rushing element of his game waned last year, likely due to injuries, but Levis should be expected to leave the pocket more in the NFL. Experienced at full-field reads after playing in a pro-style system under former Rams OC Liam Coen.

Weaknesses

Doesn’t sense pressure. Saw him get crash-test-dummied numerous times in the pocket. Levis doesn’t manipulate the pocket well enough to wear blinders in it — danger can reach the front door quickly and unexpectedly, and Levis doesn’t tend to acquit himself well once it does. Maddening bouts of inaccuracy on account of mechanical haphazardness. When Levis’ base is set, and he marries his upper half to it, the ball tends to go exactly where he wants it to.

Levis has less work to do on his mechanics than Richardson — physically speaking. But there are two complicating factors: Levis tends to totally forget his mechanics under duress, and Levis is far less comfortable and accurate throwing left than right due to the truncated follow-through on his compact motion in that direction. He is also far more nonchalant in clean pockets with his technique than you’d like — he’s like a center fielder who will attempt to randomly bucket-catch three fly balls per game. This explains random bouts of inaccuracy, even on layup throws.

He’s athletic, but it’s north-south athleticism. Not the runner his tall-tale Josh Allen comps would have you think. He’s an upright, straightforward target in the open field, leading to big collisions. In the NFL, he’s going to have to learn to surrender, or he’s going to get hurt — especially because I worry he’s going to be taking damage in the pocket, at least initially. Noticed on film a penchant for throwing hospital balls that I didn’t note with the other quarterbacks in my top four, leading receivers directly into descending defensive backs.

Lacks throwing nuance — a hammer that sees only nails. Flashes of touch don’t come through nearly often enough, though we know he’s capable of them. Took a huge step backward last season after losing a lot of his supporting cast. Not only did he stop running, but roughly one-quarter of his passes were behind the line of scrimmage.

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports & Prospect Profiles