Will Levis Moves Up In Mel Kiper's NFL Draft Rankings

I am not going to lie. I have been very critical of Will Levis' performance to date. A goal line interception in the second quarter against Miami of Ohio, a couple of missed open receivers which turned potential touchdowns into field goal attempts late against Florida, a pair of bad throws leading to interceptions against an FCS opponent in Youngstown State, all are examples of his performance.

However, he has still managed to put up 882 passing yards, 6 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns through 3 games, while leading his team to a 3-0 record and a #8 AP Poll Ranking. Will, for the most part, has been very good. It is just that I see so much potential in him that I know he is capable of being a great or even elite, not just good. This appears to be a shared notion, because despite some inconsistent play, Will Levis continues to climb up draft boards for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr has the senior Kentucky quarterback ranked 4th overall and 2nd out of all quarterbacks in his most recent 2023 NFL Draft rankings. The only quarterback ahead is Ohio State's CJ Stroud, while Alabama's Bryce Young is surprisingly ranked a pair of spots below Will Levis. Kiper's NFL comparison for Levis is former SEC standout and #1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford. Of course there is the connection to former UK offensive coordinator and current LA Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen, but Kiper's main reason for the comparison is his ability to work both inside and outside of the pocket, while having great confidence in his arm. Kiper also wanted to see the mistakes get limited, but claims he can easily end as the first signal caller's name announced in the 2023 NFL draft.

Will still has a long way to go before he can start thinking about the next level. A tough SEC slate is coming up, starting with traveling to face a top-20 ranked Ole Miss squad, on the road. With the high ambitions of making a New Year's Six Bowl and competing for the SEC East title, Levis will need to take his game to another level. It is great to see that professional draft scouts have faith that he is more than capable of making this jump.