#Titans trade up for Will Levis after Kentucky QB falls out of 1st round, leaves Kansas City [Video]

A Reddit thread this week claimed Levis, the quarterback of Kentucky, had been told he would be the first overall pick of the NFL Draft. Even if that was a bit ridiculous, there was plenty of speculation that he could go as high as the second overall pick. Early Thursday morning, Levis was the betting favorite to go with the No. 2 overall pick. Even if that didn’t happen, going in the top 10 seemed likely.

Instead, he had to wait a while to be picked, until the next day. After not hearing his name called at all in the first round, Levis was selected 33rd overall by the Tennessee Titans with the second pick of the second round.

The Titans traded up with the Cardinals to get their potential quarterback of the future, sending over the 41st overall pick, the 72nd overall pick and a third-rounder in the 2024 NFL Draft, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

Levis wasn’t on site for the moments, as he left Kansas City all together after a rough night spent squirming with his loved ones in the draft’s green room, per Kentucky Sports Radio.

Where did it go south for Will Levis?

Levis has the size and arm strength that NFL teams covet in quarterbacks. He also wasn’t very productive his final season at Kentucky. Concerns about his accuracy and turnovers made him a divisive prospect in the days leading up to the draft.

Levis was never a realistic possibility to go first, despite Reddit rumors. But there was a chance he could have gone second to the Houston Texans. Instead, CJ Stroud was their pick. Then Anthony Richardson went No. 4 overall to the Indianapolis Colts, a team that was linked to Levis often before the draft. After that, teams that could have picked a quarterback like the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders passed. That started Levis slipping a bit.

By the time the Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drafting in the teens, passed on Levis, he was in a total freefall. There were shots of him in the green room, even one of him getting a hug from his mom. It was reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers’ uncomfortable wait to get drafted many years ago.

Levis isn’t the first quarterback to slip in the draft. Some of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, like Rodgers, had to wait to hear their name called. Levis at least didn’t have to wait too long after the draft resumed on Friday to be drafted, even if he wasn’t on site when it happened.

Originally published April 29, 2023 at 1:23 AM