Will Levis to Bucs, Bijan Robinson to Patriots in ESPN's NFL Nation Mock Draft 2023

Ahead of Thursday's NFL draft, there is a lot of speculation as to where former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis will land.

In ESPN's latest NFL Nation mock draft, Levis is projected to fall to the No. 19 pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While it would be a good idea for the Bucs to secure their quarterback of the future, it would be a surprise if Levis was still available at that spot.

The Bucs landing him there would mean that teams like the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7), Atlanta Falcons (No. 8) and Washington Commanders (No. 16) all passed up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback despite their respective needs for one.

Levis is regarded as one of the top-four quarterbacks in the class next to Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reported on Tuesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show that Levis "could very easily" be the second quarterback off the board in the first round.

Elsewhere in ESPN's NFL Nation mock draft, the New England Patriots made a splashy move by selecting former Texas running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 14 pick. While it would be surprising to see Bill Belichick use a first-round pick on a running back, especially with Rhamondre Stevenson in the fold, Robinson is the type of game-changing talent who would be worth the selection.

In 2022, Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on 258 carries. He also added 19 receptions for 314 yards and two more scores. Drafting him would surely add a dynamic dimension to the Patriots offense.