Top QB prospect takes big fall in latest NFL mock draft

Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is one of the more polarizing players in the 2023 draft class, and in Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft for NFL.com, he has Levis taking a pretty significant fall down toward the back end of the first round.

Jeremiah has Levis going No. 19 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a potential long-term replacement for the recently retired Tom Brady.

Tampa Bay currently has former second-round pick Kyle Trask and recent free-agent signing Baker Mayfield as its top-two quarterback options, while Levis would also compete for the starting job in this instance. 

It is a stunning projection because for months now, Levis, one of the top-four quarterbacks in the draft, has been viewed as a likely top-10 pick. 

Perhaps even a top-five pick. But with Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud likely going within the top-two picks, and with Florida's Anthony Richardson have a sensational combine performance that could skyrocket him up the draft boards, there is the potential that Levis could slide a little; especially since there are still a lot of questions around his status as a prospect.

Levis looks the part of an NFL quarterback with his build and cannon for an arm, but his actual on-field performance at Kentucky was very inconsistent and did not always produce strong results.

The question NFL teams have to ask themselves is, was that underwhelming performance the result of not having great talent around Levis in college? 

Or, does it say something about how he is viewed as a quarterback prospect? If a player is not consistently accurate and productive at the NCAA level, it might be a stretch to think that they can suddenly flip the switch.

Jeremiah's mock draft has the Carolina Panthers taking Young with the first pick, the Houston Texans taking Stroud with the second pick, and the Indianapolis Colts taking Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick.

He does not have Seattle, Las Vegas, Detroit or Atlanta — all teams that could use a potential long-term option at quarterback — taking Levis.