After a dramatic fall from top-five projections all the way out of the first round, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis could probably use some encouragement.
ESPN liberally showed footage of Levis and his loved ones in the green room in Kansas City, looking increasingly jaded as pick after pick heard his name go uncalled Thursday night. Levis earned comparisons to (and contrasts from) some of the league’s great 21st-century slippers, such as Jets and Ravens quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson.
Author: Michael
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Teams will overlook Bryan Bresee’s production concerns in a limited defensive tackle draft class due to his athleticism and size
The 2023 NFL Draft features a lot of talent at the top, with positions like quarterback, edge rusher, cornerback, and offensive tackle likely to dominate the first round. One spot where there’s a significant lack of depth is at defensive tackle, which features a star at the top in Georgia’s Jalen Carter but limited options behind him.
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Will Levis, Joey Porter Jr., and Brian Branch highlight the best players available in the NFL Draft
Night one of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books.
But we are just getting started.
31 players had their NFL dreams realized on Thursday night, but we have six rounds of draft picks remaining. Rounds 2 and 3 are set to begin later tonight, and there are a lot of great players left.
Thursday night began as expected, with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young coming off the board with the first-overall selection, to the Carolina Panthers.
For all the hoopla over the quarterbacks who did go in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, almost as much attention was given to a quarterback who did not.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis—mentioned for much of the pre-draft process in the same breath as Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson—was not selected in the first round. His omission was a stark departure from rumors that placed the Wildcats gunslinger as high as the top five.
The first round of the 2023 NFL draft is officially in the books, and what a wild Thursday night it was to kick off this year’s three-day event in Kansas City.
We had plenty of intrigue heading into this year’s draft, and the hype delivered with a dramatic first night, highlighted by three quarterbacks coming off the board in the top four picks, and a flurry of trades that shook up the early going for a handful of teams. As always, we had a few surprise picks and a couple of big names that lasted longer than expected.
The slide out of the first round of the NFL draft by former Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis, who was expected by many to be selected among the top 10 picks, may have been due to injury concerns.
Late Thursday night, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that teams may been hesitant to invest in the talented signal-caller due to a toe injury suffered at Kentucky last season.
The toe injury, which caused him to miss several games in 2022, could be the reason for Levis’s unexpected drop out of the opening round.
Yahoo Sports draft expert Charles McDonald hands out his grades as Houston made a big splash and Detroit made a couple curious picks.
Hit the road, Shams.
The Athletic’s very own NBA insider couldn’t take the night off on a day that belonged entirely to the NFL.
Known for his NBA breaking news, Charania branched out and started to tweet out NFL scoops leading up to the Carolina Panthers’ first pick.
Synonymous with the NBA, Shams’ foray into the NFL felt off. It was similar to hearing a breaking MLB story being first reported by John McEnroe.
Shams managed to “break” the news that Bryce Young would be selected with the No. 1 pick, flexing his reporting skills a bit too hard.
The Colts were thrilled to land their QB of the future, though it was risky. The Eagles and Cardinals played it smart, while Will Levis is still waiting.