Will Levis Falls Out of First Round of 2023 NFL Draft

Will Levis Falls Out of First Round of 2023 NFL Draft

The ESPN cameras continued to pan to the green room. Players that were invited to Union Station in Kansas City, Mo. began to file out as their names were called one by one. 

But there Will Levis sat, surrounded by his family and friends for hours on end as the first 31 picks of the NFL draft were announced on Thursday night. He wasn't one of them, despite just about every mock draft under the sun suggesting he would be. 

It was Levis, along with fellow quarterbacks Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson that had stirred the pot all NFL offseason, with pundits bickering back and forth with one-another about who should go No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers. Everyone's name — even Levis' — was mentioned. 

Odds for the two-year Kentucky QB to be the first name announced by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell skyrocketed as draft night neared, but instead it was Young that was picked first by the Panthers. The Houston Texans then took Stroud at No. 2. The Indianapolis Colts took Richardson at No. 4. 

Perhaps not the result everyone was expecting, but the question then came to be "where will he land?" 

That's yet to be answered. ESPN's Chris Mortensen eluded to Levis' toe injury that hampered his 2022 season as a potential source of fear for some teams, making them cautious to pull the trigger:

Will Levis’ left toe that caused him to miss two games last year was “problematic “ for one team that considered him.
Levis says the “toe has healed” and good to go.
Another team believes Levis could manage it but thought surgery would need discussion after season.
Levis…

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) April 28, 2023

Now, Levis will wait to hear his name called on Friday, as he remains one of the top names available in the draft. Coverage is set to begin at 7 p.m. EST.