ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said after Thursday's first round that Levis' personality and style of play contributed to his drop into the second round.
"You don't know who to trust this time of year, but apparently it was true -- (Levis) came off as kind of not having the ideal personality and maybe some arrogance and cockiness in his meetings," McShay said. "That's a team-by-team basis. But ultimately, the turnovers and the style of play, too, is an issue. Because he plays the quarterback position as a linebacker."
"... A lot of teams I talked to were worried that he's going to be a Carson Wentz case when it's all said and done if he doesn't learn how to protect his body better."
The Indianapolis Colts opted to take Florida's Anthony Richardson at No. 4. The Tennessee Titans, who were a rumored trade candidate to get Stroud at No. 3, ended up taking Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski at No. 11. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are looking for a replacement after Tom Brady's retirement, selected Pittsburgh's defensive lineman Calijah Kancey at No. 19.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis dropped out of the first round in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Levis was projected by some to be a top-5 pick, but he had slid past the No. 31 selection and into Round 2 on Thursday in Kansas City.
Levis seemed like a good candidate for quarterback-needy teams entering Thursday's first round, but he began to fall when the Houston Texans selected Ohio State's C.J. Stroud with the No. 2 pick.
Levis wowed scouts during the pre-draft process with his strong arm and prototypical NFL build, but his lack of success in college at Kentucky became a hot point for scrutiny in the weeks leading to the draft.
Still, his odds of going high in the draft, even No. 1 overall, skyrocketed earlier this week when a thread on Reddit suggested he had been told he would be taken with the Carolina Panthers' top pick.