NFL rumors: Surprise team, and not the Panthers, could draft Will Levis
By John Buhler
Keep an eye on the New England Patriots, and not the Carolina Panthers, to draft Will Levis.
Despite the Carolina Panthers doing their best to screw with us, they may not be the team that has a ton of interest in Kentucky quarterback Will Levis after all.
If the Panthers draft Levis No. 1 after trading up from No. 9 in a deal with the Chicago Bears, new head coach Frank Reich did not give himself enough time to let the Indianapolis brain drain work its way out of his skull. Your IQ drops 25 puts upon arrival in that building, but it will return to near-baseline levels if you give yourself a little time. Sadly, IQs might be dropping over in Foxborough…
NFL insider Mike Giardi said the New England Patriots do have real interest in taking Levis with their first-round pick. They might have used a top-15 selection on Mac Jones two years ago and a third-rounder on Bailey Zappe last spring, but it is The Bill O’Brien Show running the offense now. Keep in mind the former Houston Texans head coach had been coordinating in the SEC at Alabama.
As I mentioned on Felger & Holley last night, there is real interest in QB Will Levis from the Patriots. Not universally, but there are important folks in that building that believe in the talent. What I've heard about his visit from other stops... he hasn't blown anyone away.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 25, 2023
While Levis has not exactly blown people away during the interview process, Giardi offered a bit of intriguing insight into the matter. He hinted that it is not that people don’t like Levis, but that he is not a quarterback people naturally gravitate to as a leader. Levis is a different cat, but I think he is misunderstood. Then again, he does have to get the buy-in of 52 alpha males weekly in the NFL.
that dovetails with something I was told by a couple scouts that were around the Kentucky program this year. It's not that he's an unlikable kid, but players didn't gravitate to him either. Can that leadership quality/it factor be learned? The physical talents are undeniable.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 25, 2023
I am good with Levis coming off the board around where the Patriots are picking, but this a terrible landing spot for him for so many reasons…
New England Patriots could be the team who stops Will Levis’ NFL Draft slide
Prior to Tuesday, the highest Levis could have realistically gone in the 2023 NFL Draft would have been the Colts at No. 4. Even with a first-time head coach taking over in Shane Steichen, I think he would do very well in Indianapolis. He could be everything native son Jeff George wasn’t for them, and perhaps be a more approachable teammate than Mr. Santa Claus, Indiana Jay Cutler ever was.
Had the Panthers not traded up to No. 1, they would have been a fairly decent landing spot for Carolina at No. 9. Reich may still take him and send Scott Fitterer into the darkest depths of madness, but I do get it. You like what you like, and Reich likes ’em tall, alright. After that, the Tennessee Titans at No. 11 make sense, as do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings.
Overall, I want Levis to succeed, mostly to prove you wrong. Haters gonna hate, and we’re gonna celebrate when he’s awesome, and you’re not! It may be a tad Tom Petty of me, but I won’t back down. Damn the torpedoes and let Levis let it rip, dawg. Just not for the Patriots. I think it would be the worst place for him to go in the top half of the draft. This would reek of lamb and tuna fish.
The Patriots have interest in Levis, but I don’t want to see a McEnroe Jones conniption fit either.
Next. 2023 NFL Mock Draft: The Botch Job. dark