Will Levis' Top Landing Spots After Sliding Out of 1st Round of 2023 NFL Draft

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the first round of the 2023 NFL draft came at the quarterback position, and it wasn't because someone was picked.

Rather, it was because someone wasn't picked.

Kentucky's Will Levis, who was seen as a potential top-five selection going into the draft, is still available heading into Friday's second round. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted he visited with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots ahead of the draft.

Carolina, Houston and Indianapolis all took a quarterback in Thursday's first round, so cross them off.

The Patriots and Falcons also have young quarterbacks in place, although that still leaves some potential landing spots:

• Las Vegas Raiders

• Tennessee Titans

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Los Angeles Rams

Perhaps it shouldn't be shocking that Levis fell out of the first round.

Yes, he has quite the ceiling with a big arm and can theoretically make a number of throws downfield even at the NFL level. That was enough to garner plenty of love during mock-draft season.

However, there was still reason for concern.

Levis threw for fewer than 200 yards in four of his final five games at Kentucky. That stretch included two particularly ugly performances when he went 16-of-27 for 98 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions in a loss to Tennessee and 11-of-23 for 109 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in a loss to Vanderbilt.

That doesn't exactly sound like someone who is ready to go against NFL defenses, big arm or not.

It is because of that need for growth and more consistency that he would be better off going somewhere he can sit behind a veteran for a year or two and adjust to the next level. The Rams (Matthew Stafford), Raiders (Jimmy Garoppolo), Titans (Ryan Tannehill) and Buccaneers (Baker Mayfield) all fit the bill.

What's more, none of those players outside of Stafford should be seen as someone a top prospect couldn't beat out in a positional battle two years down the line. Tannehill might not even be in Tennessee much longer if some of the trade rumors surrounding him end up coming true.

Levis is surely feeling plenty of disappointment after he didn't hear his name called Thursday.

Yet this may give him an opportunity to land in an ideal situation and perhaps find success within a handful of seasons.