Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is one of the top QB prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft and should be off the board within the first 10 picks. As the most likely outcome of Will Levis’ NFL draft, the former Kentucky football signal caller is a great pick for teams like the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Seattle Seahawks.
Las Vegas robbers
The Las Vegas Raiders go into the 2023 NFL Draft as the No. 7 overall pick. The team is a very veteran team with many well-known stars on offense and the strategy for next season is still in the stars.
Vegas could replace Derek Carr with a veteran in a trade like Aaron Rodgers. If the Raiders go that route, it will likely involve giving up their first-round pick this year.
However, head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler could decide to sign a shorter-term vet like Jimmy Garoppolo and draft the QB of the team’s future. In that case, Will Levis would be a good choice.
The Kentucky Wildcats football star is unlikely to be a week one starter in the NFL. So having an experienced QB on a team with real expectations is a must. However, if Levis proves he’s ready to start his rookie year, there’s no more talented team at the top of the draft to make it with than the Raiders.
Having Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller available as a rookie could help Levis find instant success and even put him in a position to join players like Ben Roethlisberger and Russell Wilson, who won an NFL title in their sophomore years League.
Seattle Seahawks
While a Will Levis NFL draft scenario that takes him to the Raiders would likely see him seated for a year, joining the Seahawks would definitely bench him for at least the start of the season. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing for the signal caller of Kentucky football.
After a playoff year in 2022, the Seahawks have a bonus top five draft pick thanks to Russell Wilson’s trade last offseason. With the young talent the franchise is amassing, it could be a while before they get that high again, so picking a No. 5 QB in the 2023 NFL Draft makes a lot of sense.
Levis would sit behind Geno Smith earlier in the year, but after that he would be on a team with DK Metcalf for the foreseeable future, Kenneth Walker III behind him on running back and a line in front of him that started two excellent rookie tackles (Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas) last season.
Seattle is set for long-term success as long as they get a young QB to take the reins from Smith for the next two seasons. In Will Levis, the team gets a quarterback with the athleticism of a young Wilson with better height and (apparently) better leadership skills, as demonstrated playing Kentucky football.
Draft pundits have compared Levis favorably to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, two QBs who are the faces of their franchise just as Levis could be for the Seahawks.
Carolina Panther
For those who believe the best way to develop a rookie QB is to knock them out in Year 1, a Will Levis NFL Draft marriage of the Kentucky Football QB and the Panthers would be best.
The Panthers currently have the #9 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, so Levis would have to slip past the Seahawks, Raiders and Detroit Lions to get to the Panthers. Or Carolina could trade to take her guy. The latter scenario wouldn’t be surprising given owner David Tepper’s aggressive streak.
With the Panthers, Will Levis would have the best chance of starting week one of the 2023 NFL season as a team that currently doesn’t have a viable QB on the roster and has no real expectations for 2023.
But just because the Panthers have a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft doesn’t mean there’s no talent on the roster. The offensive side of the ball consists of the criminally underrated DJ Moore, who may push D’Onta Foreman back if he re-signs, and a solid offensive line that includes last year’s NFL No. 6 draft pick Ikem Ekwonu.
Also, new Panthers head coach Frank Reich is a quarterback guru who helped develop Carson Wentz (when he was good) and won a Super Bowl with Nick Foles. Reich would be a perfect coach to get the best out of Will Levis.