NFL Rumors: Will Levis drew Ravens interest amid Lamar Jackson uncertainty
Could the Baltimore Ravens have drafted Will Levis during the NFL Draft? They signed Lamar Jackson the day of the draft, but if they were unable to do so, there might have been a lot of interest in the Kentucky product.
Once projected to possibly go first overall, Levis slid all the way into the second round and right past the Ravens at 22nd overall. Had they not had Jackson, they might have considered selecting the quarterback and not Zay Flowers.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN said:
"Here's one to file away: Absent a Lamar Jackson deal by the start of the draft, I believe, after asking around, that the Ravens would have considered quarterback Will Levis with the 22nd overall pick. Finalizing a deal for Jackson before Thursday night was prudent for Baltimore, which could implement the possibility of drafting a passer as leverage."
He continued via ESPN:
"After the draft, leverage would shift to Jackson, potentially weakening the chance at a deal, because Baltimore's QB options would be scarce ... unless they selected one on Day 1 or 2. This is a moot point after Jackson and Baltimore agreed to terms on a five-year, $260-million extension a few hours before the draft kicked off. Had that not gone down, the QB option could have been tempting -- and Levis was the best option at 22."
Ultimately, the Ravens landed Jackson on a record-setting five-year deal worth $260 million. That exempted them from needing a quarterback and allowed Levis to continue sliding.
Where did Will Levis end up being drafted?
Other quarterback-needy teams selected their prospects or opted for other positions in the NFL Draft, which started Will Levis' initial slide. The Ravens signing of Jackson made it go even further.
A once surefire first-round pick, Levis was undrafted on night one. However, his slide ended very shortly. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Joey Porter Jr. with the 32nd overall pick and the Tennessee Titans jumped at the chance to land Levis.
They traded up to 33 overall to select him and potentially make him the starter this year.