IN PHOTOS: Will Levis and family look disappointed after Kentucky QB goes undrafted on Day 1 of 2023 NFL Draft
Will Levis saw his dreams crushed on Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft as the Kentucky quarterback went undrafted through 31 picks of the first round. He was among the top quarterbacks in the class along with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Hendon Hooker.
Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud went first and second to the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans respectively, with Anthony Richardson going to the Indianapolis Colts at fourth. Thereafter, not a single quarterback was drafted and Will Levis missed out. He showed a whole range of emotions during the process and his family was there to live it out with him.
It was a cruel spectacle, with the cameras capturing every moment of his grief.
#BBN
Brutal and unfair, man. Will Levis simply doesn’t deserve this. The comeback story is gonna go crazy. 😞😔 #BBN https://t.co/3iLSxnLRgq
Will Levis girl boutta leave him 😭😭😭 #nfldraft https://t.co/wspc8naMoY
Will Levis wishes he was everywhere but on camera right now. https://t.co/K0qsGm4NYv
Will Levis is feeling it right now..
https://t.co/PPV2o5FwUR
Both his parents and girlfriend were there to support him.
According to ESPN Analytics, there was a 92% chance that Will Levis was going to be picked in the top 10.
Levis has still not been selected and the first round has ended.
https://t.co/bbZszjc8iU
Will Levis waiting on that call 📞
#NFLDraft https://t.co/gAq2ktBK4h
Will Levis experiences a rollercoaster of emotions on Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft
Will Levis felt every emotion from elation to despondence during Day 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Initially, there was chatter that he might be selected within the first two picks.
There were rumors that the Houston Texans were looking to pass on C.J. Stroud because of his low numbers on the cognition test. Once that didn't happen, there were murmurs that the Colts would take him ahead of Anthony Richardson because he had more experience playing college football than the eventual fourth overall pick.
Update: The S2 Cognition test results for the 2023 QB Draft class, per @BobMcGinn:
Bryce Young - 98%
Jake Haener - 96%
Will Levis - 93%
Jaren Hall - 93%
Clayton Tune - 84%
Anthony Richardson - 79%
Hendon Hooker - 46%
CJ Stroud - 18%
(@ShanePHallam) https://t.co/UEtFkFkBja
Even towards the end of the draft, when it looked increasingly unlikely that he would be selected, there was still hope. The Kansas City Chiefs did not trade spots and remained the final pick of the 2023 NFL Draft on Day 1. They had just lost Chad Henne as their backup quarterback to Patrick Mahomes and could have been thinking of bringing him in.
Instead, the phone never rang and Levis went undrafted in the first round. Had he made it to the Kansas City Chiefs, it would have been similar to Jimmy Garoppolo shading Tom Brady when he was drafted by the New England Patriots. Garoppolo went on to have a stellar NFL career and is now the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, Will Levis can now draw inspiration from Brady himself. Brady was not drafted until the sixth round and ended up with seven Super Bowl rings. Someone will pick him in this draft and then it will be up to Levis to make the teams that passed on him eat humble pie.