Kentucky quarterback Will Levis found himself in the most unwanted position for a prospect in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. Undrafted. Levis remained in the green room for an agonizing four hours, going undrafted in the first round Thursday night.
Levis is one of top prospects who will be on the board going into Friday afternoon’s Round 2. Many draft experts had Levis among a bevy of quarterbacks going early in the first round. Quarterbacks were selected in three of the first four picks, but Levis wasn’t one of them.
The Carolina Panthers used the No. 1 overall pick to select Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. The Texans pulled off a mild surprise by selecting Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud at No. 2. The Indianapolis Colts grabbed Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson at No. 4.
Levis will be in the spotlight when Round 2 begins at 4 p.m. PT. The Los Angeles Rams, with the 36th pick and the Seattle Seahawks, at No. 37, and the Tennessee Titans, at No. 41, could be interested in selecting Levis.
Another quarterback, Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, is also on the board. Hooker is coming off an ACL injury and surgery, but he’s healthy now.
Just one tight end, Dalton Kincaid at No. 26 by Buffalo, was selected in the first round. Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave could be part of a run on tight ends during Day 2. Musgrave, along with Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer, Georgia’s Darnell Washington and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta, are all available for selection on Friday.
Another notable player still on the board is Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. Porter was expected to become the Nittany Lions’ first defensive back selected in the first round. Instead, he will have to wait until Friday to possibly hear his name called, maybe by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have the first pick (No. 32) of the second round.