Will Levis to replace Tom Brady in Tampa? Falcons also in pursuit

Is Will Levis the heir to the throne in Tampa? Tom Brady has retired, and the Buccaneers are desperate to find a permanent replacement for arguably the greatest quarterback of all time. Now, the former Kentucky QB1 is meeting with the Bucs to see if there’s a potential match leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft.

Tampa holds the No. 19 overall pick, but decided to host Levis for a visit on Wednesday, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The former Wildcat is seen as a likely top-10 draft selection, but the Buccaneers could decide to trade up to get him or hold tight and hope he slips.

“Will Levis, the Kentucky quarterback who most people believe is going to be a top-10 pick, is visiting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today,” Rapoport said on NFL Network today. “The reason you say all that is because they pick 19, so presumably, if they’re interested in Will Levis and they believe he is their future franchise guy, they might have to trade up for him.

“Or it could be a situation where somehow, some way Will Levis slips through the cracks and ends up similar to what happened with Mac Jones with the Patriots and Kenny Pickett with the Steelers, they just sit there and take him.”

As things stand, Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask are the quarterbacks currently on the roster — neither seen as realistic long-term franchise fits. Levis, though, could be that guy.

“Hard to imagine Will Levis is going to be there at 19, but certainly if you’re the Bucs and you’re not 100% sure right now if you have a franchise quarterback on your roster — whether that’s Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask or other — then this certainly makes sense,” Rapoport added.

Another note: Levis is scheduled to visit the Atlanta Falcons on a top-30 visit Thursday, the NFL insider reported. As things stand currently, Desmond Ridder — a Louisville native and former third-round draft selection in 2022 — is the team’s starter. The Falcons, though, have the No. 8 overall pick, closer to the accurate draft range for the former Wildcat.

From NFL Now: The #Bucs hosting #Kentucky QB Will Levis today is interesting. pic.twitter.com/fqMIAG4hgv

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2023

The Tennessee Titans hosted Levis for a visit on Tuesday, while the Indianapolis Colts — who hold the No. 4 overall pick — were in Lexington to watch the former Wildcat train in-person last Thursday.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper believes that will be the ultimate landing spot for Levis, who the draft expert says is his second-ranked quarterback on the board.

“I’m sticking with Levis to Indianapolis here,” Kiper wrote this week. “General manager Chris Ballard could get lucky with my second-ranked quarterback still on the board. Why do I like Levis over Stroud and Richardson? Because of his ability both in and out of the pocket. In 2021, when Levis was really on, he made ‘wow’ throws to every part of the field and also ran for nine scores. Last season, while dealing with injuries and after losing a lot of talent around him, he forced too many throws and was inconsistent. I think Levis’ floor is high, and he’ll be able to start immediately for the Colts.”

A rundown of where Levis stands in all the latest mock drafts:

• ESPN’s Mel Kiper (Updated 4/11): No. 4 – Indianapolis
• ESPN’s Todd McShay (Updated 4/4): No. 14 – Tampa Bay (via NE)
• Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Hanson (Updated 4/11): No. 10 – Tampa Bay (via PHI, via NO)
• The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner (Updated 4/7): No. 16 – Washington
• The Ringer’s Danny Kelly (Updated 4/3): No. 11 – Tennessee
• CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco (Updated 4/6): No. 7 – Las Vegas
• CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson (Updated 4/10): No. 23 – Minnesota
• CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso (Updated 4/10): No. 4 – Indianapolis
• CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards (Updated 4/10): No. 3 – Tennessee

Just two short weeks away from finding out where Levis lands.