Will Levis will NOT attend Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft after first-round snub

Will Levis won’t attend the second day of the 2023 NFL Draft after being surprisingly snubbed in the first-round. 

The Kentucky Wildcats quarterback is set to leave Kansas City, Missouri, before the draft resumes at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, according to WXWV Sports Radio’s Nick Roush.

The 23-year-old was projected as high as the second overall pick prior to Thursday night’s turn of events. Instead, he sat in the Green Room with his mother, Beth, and girlfriend of two years, Gia, watching teams pass on drafting him throughout the entire night. 

Levis was seen as guaranteed first-round pick by most football fans ahead of the start of the draft because of teams needing a star quarterback in order to win the Super Bowl in the mold of Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs, Tom Brady with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers.

Levis received a social media message of support from 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner among many others. ‘Will Levis… God makes no mistakes. You will be great,’ the Jets cornerback shared on Twitter late on Thursday.

NO THANKS: Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, 23, was overlooked on draft night on Thursday

A troublesome toe that might require surgery might have been a part of the woeful draft experience that Levis has gone through. ESPN reported on Thursday that two teams considered the left toe injury ‘problematic,’ possibly requiring surgery. 

Lewis is among America’s top four quarterback selections, yet didn’t feature in the top-five picks like his counterparts did. 

Alabama’s Bryce Young was drafted as the first overall pick by the Carolina Panthers. Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud came in second, as he was selected by the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts took Florida’s Anthony Richardson as the the fourth overall pick and as the final QB in the first round of this year’s draft.

Teams with unproven NFL QBs, like the Seattle Seahawks, Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers were seen as likely destinations for Levis, but all of them chose to address other needs, leaving the six-foot-four, 232-pound field general without a chance to shake Robert Goodall’s hand on a night when he expected to walk on stage the most out of this year’s draft’s three calendar dates, ranging from April 27-29.

Levis started off his college football career with the Penn State Nittany Lions before transferring to Kentucky and establishing himself as the Wildcats starter for two full seasons. 

Alabama’s QB Bryce Young was drafted first overall of this year’s draft by the Carolina Panthers

Will Levis played for Kentucky in 2022 and 2021 after representing UPenn in 2019 and 2020

In 2021, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, while also rushing for 276 yards and nine six-points. 

Last season consisted of several starts-and-stops for Levis due to injuries, although he still managed to complete 64.5 percent of his passes for 2,406 yards, 19 TDs and 10 picks. 

He also rushed for two scores, but those were overshadowed by a negative rushing yardage due to several sacks he took behind a dodgy Wildcats offense.

Levis has been inconsistent in his last year of playing college football and that may have factored into a first-round snub, despite having a strong throwing arm like the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen or Jay Cutler. 

Teams that are tipped to draft Levis on Day 2 include the Detroit Lions with the No. 34 pick, Seattle Seahawks at No. 37, Las Vegas Raiders at No. 38 and Tennessee Titans at No. 41.