Drae Harris played collegiately at California and worked in NFL scouting departments for the Cardinals, Chiefs and Browns. (Go here for all Harris’ scouting reports.)
Levis, a 6-foot-3, 235-pounder, began his collegiate career at Penn State and finished at Kentucky. He was a respectable 17-7 as a starter over two seasons for the Wildcats.
Strengths: Levis has prototypical NFL size, mobility and outstanding arm strength and could play in any offense. The Kentucky offense used pro concepts, and his mental aptitude should allow him to absorb and retain an NFL playbook.
He appears to be a quick processor, and although his offensive line had moments of inconsistency throughout the 2022 season, he showed patience in the pocket to get through his progressions efficiently. He can manipulate the pocket and effectively move defenders with his eyes. He also can make plays off schedule and extend plays with his legs.
Weaknesses: Levis must learn to protect himself better when he leaves the pocket. He generates great velocity on his throws, but he is inconsistent with his footwork, which can lead to misses on easy “touch throws.”
In a 16-6 loss to Georgia last season, he had moments of indecision and reluctance. By trusting his protection, he can deliver a more accurate football. At times he appears unsettled in the pocket, leading to forced throws. He must take better care of the football in the NFL.
Conclusion: Scouts will scrutinize the 2022 Georgia game because that level of competition resembles the NFL. He appears to have the work ethic to improve at taking some heat off his “fastball” and ultimately develop into a more consistent passer with better accuracy. (He had a 64.9% completion percentage in college.)
His size, arm strength, mental processing and mobility in and out of the pocket are big plusses. His inaccurate throws and strong arm remind me of Josh Allen when he came out of Wyoming. By cleaning up his footwork and mechanics, as Allen has, Levis can improve his accuracy and ball placement.
What others say | Todd McShay of ESPN: “He has the strongest arm of any quarterback in this class, and physically, I think he’s probably the most complete quarterback in terms of what you bring and his intangibles. He’s a legend in the weight room. There’s not a single person on the team, in the entire campus at Kentucky that talks about him and doesn’t have glowing reviews.”
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN: “In terms of the No. 1 quarterback for me, the guy that looks the part and played like a big-timer when he got some help was Will Levis from Kentucky.”
