Titans QB Will Levis playing with chip on the shoulder after 2023 Draft dip: "I'm trying to prove this organization right"

Will Levis fell more than expected during the 2023 NFL Draft. In a class where he was expected to go early in the first round alongside Bryce Young, C. J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson, Levis ended up taken in the second round by the Tennessee Titans.

While his draft slot wasn't what he envisioned, his first year in the league showed enough promise for the Titans to let go of Ryan Tannehill and make Levis their clear-cut number-one choice for 2024. Speaking with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated during the OTAs, he spoke about how he feels after being passed in the first round:

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“It definitely leaves a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, and makes me want to go out there and work, and keep showing people that teams might have made a mistake by not taking me,” Levis said. “Hopefully, I’m that guy that they talk about that did slip, and I can be that example for other kids that are in that same position in the green room like me."

Will Levis in Tennessee: the perfect place to develop

Will Levis was the main character of one of the most agonizing scenes during the 2023 NFL Draft. As the names were being announced throughout the first night, the Kentucky quarterback, surrounded by his family, changed from a happy and smiling expression to absolute nervousness.

He didn't hear his name called after 31 picks on the first day. For a prospect like Will Levis, whose ceiling is high and the floor is low, Tennessee was a team with a very good situation for his first years in the league, especially with Ryan Tannehill starting the previous year.

In 2024, the Titans signed Calvin Ridley, drafted J.C. Latham and improved their offense as a whole. They're following a clear plan: put everything in place for Levis to succeed. The Jacksonville Jaguars had Trevor Lawrence, but they failed in this idea, and they have all the feels of a stagnant team now.

Will they compete with the Texans for the division? It's unlikely. But there are some good things happening in Tennessee.

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