Will Levis’ surprising 2023 NFL Draft slide lasted the entire first round.
Thirty-one selections were made on Thursday night — the Dolphins lost their pick over their Tom Brady tampering infraction — and a number of quarterback-needy teams passed on Levis.
The prevailing questions now are when will the slide end and who will pick the quarterback out of Kentucky?
The following teams make some sense for Levis, accompanied with their next draft picks unless they trade up.
Los Angeles Rams (No. 36)
Head coach Sean McVay considered stepping away from the team this offseason before deciding to return.
The team denied that quarterback Matthew Stafford is on the trade block this offseason, but they may nevertheless be looking toward a long-term replacement for the 35-year-old.
Seattle Seahawks (No. 37)
Geno Smith was the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year last season after playing surprisingly well for the Seahawks, and got rewarded with a three-year contract.
However, like with the Raiders and Garoppolo, Smith, 32, isn’t necessarily Seattle’s quarterback for the long run, and Levis could learn behind him for a year or two.
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Las Vegas Raiders (No. 38)
The Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo to a three-year deal this offseason, but could conceivably sit Levis for a year or two behind him to get acclimated to life in the NFL.
Atlanta Falcons (No. 44)
Desmond Ridder is atop the Falcons’ depth chart, and the team signed Taylor Heinecke from the Commanders this offseason.
Detroit Lions (No. 48)
Jared Goff is signed through 2024, but the Lions could move on from him next offseason with minimal salary cap damage.
Why did Will Levis slide in the NFL Draft?
ESPN’s Chris Mortensen floated a possible reason for Levis’ slide.
Mortensen reported that one team believed the quarterback’s toe injury, which held him out of two games last season, was “problematic” while another believed Levis would eventually need surgery.
Levis told Mortensen that his “toe has healed” and he is ready to compete in the NFL.
As to why this information did not seep out prior to the draft, Mortensen tweeted, “Only a handful of teams have true sports foot/ankle specialists on retainer so believed reporting it in advance would not necessarily be appropriate. I did talk to Levis yesterday. He did not believe it would influence his status. I don’t know that it did…or didn’t.”
