Todd McShay reveals why Kentucky QB Will Levis is 'polarizing' among NFL GMs

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is a hotly debated NFL Draft prospect. Some NFL folks peg him as the best prospect in the class, an easy choice at No. 1 because of his arm, his body and his mobility. Others look at a disappointing 2022 season on the field and wonder why any franchise would hitch their wagon to a guy who only threw for 250 yards one time against power conference competition in his college career.

Resident NFL Draft expert Todd McShay has heard it both ways from NFL front office folks. Some see Josh Allen, others see Carson Wentz. Opinions definitely vary on Levis. Tuesday morning, McShay got a chance to join ESPN’s Get Up to talk all of the top 2023 quarterbacks, including Levis, who he claimed is a very polarizing player among general managers.

“He’s polarizing,” said McShay. “I talked to one GM who said he sees so much of Josh Allen in him. Five days later, I talked to another GM, and he said ‘I’m just worried he’s going to be the next Carson Wentz.'”

According to McShay, a main reason for worry and the reason for the Wentz comparison is his lack of awareness in the pocket: “The knock is he doesn’t have great pocket presence. So it’s great that he has mobility, but is he seeing the whole field or are his eyes dropping? You see a lot of that on tape.”

Another concern, that also doubles as a positive, is the sheer physicality Levis plays with. He’s a top draft choice because he’s 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Well, he puts that frame to work. Or, at least he did in 2021 before injuries and play-calling changes all but eliminated his quarterback runs. But in 2021, Levis made trucking defenders a regular routine. That cavalier attitude towards putting his body in jeopardy has NFL folks like McShay concerned, though.

“He plays the quarterback position like a linebacker. You love it as a coach, you love it as a teammate. But is he going to be able to stay healthy? I know he’s big and strong. But the bottom line is: He is built to last, even though he’s had durability issues, he’s gotta learn how to protect his body.”

Before wrapping up his comments, Todd McShay circled back to endorse Levis as a prospect for that physicality and also his demeanor in the weight room.

“He has the strongest arm of any quarterback in this class. And physically, I think he’s probably the most complete quarterback. 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, who talks about him and doesn’t have glowing reviews.”

Will he be Josh Allen or Carson Wentz or somebody completely in the middle? We’ll see next fall.