But or Sell: Will Levis Going Second Overall to the Houston Texans in the NFL Draft
Love or hate him; Will Levis has been a hot topic to follow during the run-up to the 2023 NFL Draft.
Opinions sway wildly on the former Kentucky Wildcats signal caller, depending on who you ask. To some, he’s a potential future NFL star given his impressive physical stature, rocket of an arm, plus athleticism, and fantastic work ethic. To others, he’s an over-hyped quarterback who was mediocre at best during his college days, when he proved inaccurate and turnover-prone.
Regardless of your opinion of Levis’s game, it’s impossible to miss the chatter surrounding where he will be selected in the draft. The hype has perhaps reached a crescendo as we near draft week, as Levis is now the favorite to be selected with the second overall selection.
Yes, you heard that right. According to BetMGM Sportsbook, Levis is now the favorite with -145 odds to be the second overall pick. He’s surpassed Alabama Crimson Tide edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. (+400), who was the favorite just a short time ago. In the ramp-up to the draft, Anderson is losing momentum. The former Alabama star now has the third-shortest odds to go No. 2, as Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson has the second-shortest odds now at +250. Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud lags at +500.
That’s a significant amount of movement in the market, so it’s time to dive in and analyze whether to buy or sell Levis as the favorite to go No. 2.
The Houston Texans hold the second pick and could undoubtedly be in the market for a quarterback, considering they have no reliable plan for the future at the position. Levis, or another quarterback, makes a lot of sense. It seems that other signal callers like Stroud and Anthony Richardson have failed to separate themselves from the pack in the lead-up to the draft, and it’s easy to see why Levis has gained steam.
All it takes is one NFL decision-maker to fall in love.
Will Levis just casually hitting the crossbar from 50 yards away on his KNEES ?
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) April 22, 2023
Several scouts reportedly believe the Colts would ?love? to take the Kentucky QB. pic.twitter.com/aTeyfysdZO
Perhaps that decision-maker who fell in love is already known, and maybe it’s the Indianapolis Colts’ Jim Irsay. It’s been widely reported for a while now that the Colts are infatuated with Levis and would be happy to make him their quarterback of the future. The Colts currently hold the No. 4 pick, although a trade up to No. 2 is possible.
If it’s not the Texans or Colts, who could it be? It’s possible that the Colts’ preference for Levis is being leaked to drive up the price for other potential trade-up candidates in the draft. If the Texans look to go “best player available” and field offers for the No. 2 spot, that price would come at a premium, especially if there’s a bidding war.
As alluded to earlier, no player has truly separated themselves from the pack at the top of this draft class. Therefore, the line movement toward Levis is entirely believable, and it seems like there may be some fire behind this smoke, considering there are several potential scenarios in which Levis is selected second overall.
