New Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has won over the support of fans with a firm promise for the AFC South club.
Levis was widely expected to be a top-five or 10 pick in last week’s NFL Draft. In a shocker, however, the ex-Kentucky Wildcats star went undrafted in round one. Levis was finally taken 33rd overall by the Titans, who traded up to select the 23-year-old.
Speaking to the media in a video conference after he was drafted, Levis promised to work his “a** off”, via Kevin Flaherty of 247 Sports:
“I think that…they know I’m a guy that’s going to go in and compete and just work my ass off and I got what it takes to play quarterback at the next level. I think I have the mental capacity to understand and execute a game plan at a high level and I’m just looking forward to learning from Ryan, from Malik, from all the coaches and to just better myself throughout this whole process
“And I just really liked how they believed in me, one, and then two, just their mentality with how they try to get the right guys on the team and get the right people in the right positions in the program and the franchise to create a culture that coach Vrabel’s been working on throughout his entire career. So I think I fit into that culture really, really well, and that’s why they like me.”
Here’s how NFL Twitter reacted to Levis’ promise to give it his all:
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Many scouts and analysts had Levis as the No. 3 ranked quarterback behind Alabama’s Bryce Young (first overall to the Carolina Panthers) and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (second overall to the Houston Texans).
Regarding the third-best quarterback prospect, it was quite a debate between Levis and Florida Gators star Anthony Richardson. As the draft drew closer, it was becoming easier to sense that the Indianapolis Colts would take Richardson at No. 4, which they did.
But Levis’ fall from out of round one will certainly go down as one of the greatest surprises in history, considering how many teams with first-round picks could have used a quarterback of his caliber.
For now, veteran Ryan Tannehill has to be considered the front-runner for the Titans’ starting job in 2023. Malik Willis, the No. 86 pick of last year’s draft, will presumably open training camp as the backup, with Levis as the third-stringer.
Levis got to hear his name called early in round two. Now we wait and see if he can win the Titans’ quarterback competition. May the best quarterback win.
