Vicky Graff Photo
NFL analyst Todd McShay talked to two NFL general managers in October and got very different evaluations about Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. He said one GM told him there was a “chance” Levis could be the next Josh Allen, the star quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.
Another feared he could be the next Carson Wentz, the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL draft who has turned into a journeyman quarterback due to injuries and inconsistent play.
“The GM worried that Levis would not hold up (physically) if he played quarterback like a linebacker in the NFL,” McShay said. “The knock has been if you contain him, his eyes drop and he starts to panic a little bit and then the decision making is not there.”
McShay does not doubt Levis’ “big arm” but does worry that his body is “too tight” and that limits his accuracy on passes of 10 to 12 yards.
“He is a workout warrior but he needs to be more like Tom Brady in his regimen than just worrying about his bench press,” McShay said. “He has to work on his touch.”
McShay knows some still are debating whether Levis or Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson should be the higher draft pick. He believes how each one handled one-on-one meetings with general managers, coaches and coordinators the last few weeks helped separate them.
McShay had indicated earlier he thought Indianapolis with the No. 4 pick was a likely spot for Levis in Thursday’s draft. However, in the latest mock draft with him and ESPN guru Mel Kiper, they had Richardson going fourth and Levis dropping to the Tennessee Titans at No. 11. Most other mock drafts still have Indianapolis as the likely spot for Levis.
One Response
No doubt that Richardson is athletically gifted, but other than his game against Utah, I saw nothing from him that would cause him to go ahead of Will Levis.