2023 NFL Draft: odds: Kentucky quarterback Will Levis now among betting favorites to be first overall pick on April 27
The odds for Kentucky QB Will Levis to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft continue to shorten.
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When Caesars Sportsbook first posted odds months ago on which player would go first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was a +7500 long shot. As recently as Thursday, he was +1400. However, Levis is now a +800 fourth favorite, tied with Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Ahead of them are Alabama linebacker Will Anderson (+700), Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud (+200) and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (-125).
Remember, this prop is on which player goes first overall, not which team uses the pick. Oddsmakers clearly don't expect the Chicago Bears to make the first selection, even though they currently hold the pick. Barring something unforeseen, the Bears aren't taking a quarterback because they believe in Justin Fields.
Chicago general manager Ryan Poles said he would "have to be absolutely blown away" to take a QB there. He has to at least leave open the possibility to increase his trade leverage. If the Bears stay put, they are almost surely taking either Carter or Anderson.
The only other player from Kentucky to go first overall in the NFL Draft was quarterback Tim Couch, who was selected by the Cleveland Browns in 1999. He was a major bust. Levis does have prototypical size for a pro quarterback at 6'3" and 235 pounds, and has a big arm. Pro Football Focus wrote that "if the draft were based on pure potential alone, he would probably go No. 1 overall." Then again, PFF gave him a grade of 90.6 in 2021 but only 68.6 in 2022.
A former three-star prospect, Levis spent the first three seasons of his college career playing sparingly at Penn State. In two seasons at Kentucky after transferring from PSU, Levis completed 418 of 636 passes for 5,233 yards and 43 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. He also rushed 179 times for 269 yards and 11 scores.
His 43 TD passes are fifth all-time at the school and his 5,233 passing yards sixth. Levis was a two-time team captain who finished his career with a 17-7 record as a starter at UK, tying Terry Wilson for the second-most quarterback wins since 1993 (when starting lineups first became available).
Some have compared Levis to the Cowboys' Dak Prescott. He is ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the CBS Sports 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings behind Young and Stroud. Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso both have Levis going No. 7 overall to the Raiders.
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