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It was a depressing sight for everyone rooting for former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. Draft experts projected him to be not just a first-round pick but a top-10 selection. But the wait became agonizing as every team with a round-one selection passed on him.
Eventually, Commissioner Roger Goodell did not call his name. He walked out of the green room not with jubilation but with disbelief. He did not have a photo on stage while holding a football jersey with his surname in front of the massive crowd in Kansas City.
But with a long way to go in the 2023 NFL Draft, Levis getting drafted will only be a matter of time. However, going past Day 1 means that NFL teams question his health.
Will Levis’s Injury Status Remains Uncertain
Levis suffered a toe injury last season, forcing him to miss two games. That’s a significant reason for the reduction in his numbers from year one to year two in Kentucky. Still, experts highly regarded him as a quarterback prospect. Mock drafts often had him in round one, as high as the fourth overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts.
Levis proclaimed that his toe isn’t an issue and that it doesn’t require surgery. However, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen found out that at least two teams who looked at Levis found it “problematic.” Another team thinks he will require surgery after playing in the 2023 NFL season.
A word can spread quickly around the league. Teams have medical personnel who diligently assess the slightest of injuries. While Levis thinks he is ready to go, something in his movement during the Scouting Combine might have led teams interested in him to think otherwise.
Since Levis is projected as a high-value prospect, they envision him starting for a quarterback-hungry immediately. Any injury could derail that possibility. But aside from the injury in question, he also dealt with foot, finger, and shoulder issues last season. Could his injury history dissuade interested teams to skip on him?
Certainly, he will get drafted at some point. But whether he is injured or not, the best case for him is to be an understudy until his team thinks he is ready to play. Subjecting him to a baptism of fire won’t help his progression and may lead him to aggravate injuries he once had.
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