By Trevor Roughan
Recently, a rumor on Reddit captivated many leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. It was “leaked” that quarterback prospect, Will Levis, had been telling friends and family that the Carolina Panthers made a promise they would select him with the first overall pick. Vegas was quick to react, as most sportsbooks significantly improved Levis’ betting odds to do just that. Additionally, Levis became the odds-on favorite to go second overall in the draft. Like gas station sushi, the chances of that actually happening don’t sit well with us at Only Players.
Most experts don’t view Levis as a top-three quarterback prospect in this year’s class. Bryce Young and CJ Stroud have far more pedigree, and Anthony Richardson is an athletic alien. Any team drafting Levis will be gambling on his arm strength and upside, as the Kentucky quarterback’s college statistics aren’t impressive in the least. As all teams know, for every Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, there are about 20 duds that never capitalize on their immense potential. Taking such a risk so early in the draft with other “safer” prospects available is borderline reckless and will get any GM fired if the move doesn’t work out.
It’s been heavily reported that the Houston Texans, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft, may very well not take a quarterback. If this rumor is true, then Levis’ chances of being selected with the pick significantly decrease. The presence of great defensive prospects like Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson in this year’s draft add validity to the rumor. It should also be noted that the Texans’ newly hired coach, DeMeco Ryans, played in the NFL for ten years on the d-line and was most recently the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. If the Texans aren’t sold on a quarterback, the team has no reason to shy away from improving its roster on the other side of the football.
Lastly, let’s remember that this “news” broke on Reddit. My neighbor Chuck has the same NFL reporting credibility as the anonymous source that launched the rumor — and Chuck doesn’t know squat about football. Hyperbole aside, until the rumor is corroborated by a more trustworthy entity, it should be taken with a grain of salt. If the prospect of purchasing sushi from a gas station doesn’t sound appetizing, then I’d stay away from betting on Levis to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
