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Did the NFL try to embarrass Kentucky quarterback Will Levis by inviting him to attend the draft in Kansas City last week?
Some UK fans have speculated that Levis’ brash attitude — cockiness was the word used by some — and his notoriety for eating an unpeeled banana or putting mayo in his coffee might have led the NFL to wanting to “humble” Levis.
He had been projected as a first-round pick and no worse than the fourth quarterback selected in the majority of mock drafts. He was the fourth quarterback selected but he went to Tennessee with the second pick in round two and had national TV cameras on him as he sat in the draft room with this family during the first round without hearing his name called.
“Will wanted to go to the draft. It was an invite and he accepted the invite,” former UK all-SEC defensive back Van Hiles said on WLAP Sunday Morning Sports Talk. “There were a ton of mock drafts with four or five quarterbacks going in the first round but more than likely only three were going.”
Hiles thought it looked “bad” on the NFL with Levis invited to the draft and not getting picked in the first round but “helped” the national TV coverage by having a continual story to focus on during the entire first round.
“The NFL is not trying to embarrass future players but the networks eat it up because they know they get eyes and emotions (when a player is not picked).”
Hiles, who played for the Chicago Bears, does not know Levis personally but feels he is “very professional and straight” with the media and fans.
“I don’t think he’s really a TikTok person. He did the first one (video) and it went viral. It was like, ‘Let me take advantage of the situation.’ But he has never come off flamboyant and not over the top with things,” Hiles said.
“Sometimes that type of criticism of a player is just an excuse. We are grasping at straws about why Anthony Richardson (of Florida) went above Will (in the draft). But that’s not really fair and why I just don’t buy any talk about the NFL trying to embarrass him. The NFL thought he was going to be a first-round pick like almost everybody else did.”
