Will Levis Finally Comes Off The Board After He Dropped Out Of First Round Of NFL Draft
KANSAS CITY -- The Will Levis draft saga is over.
The Tennessee Titans drafted the former University of Kentucky quarterback after they traded to the second pick of the second round (No. 33 overall).
Levis No Longer In Kansas City
This comes one day after Levis was so disappointed with dropping out of the first round that he left town. But now he goes to a team that has been looking for its future quarterback.
Levis joins Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis on the Titans roster.
Levis and Willis will battle for the chance to be Mr. Right.
Tannehill, meanwhile, is Mr. Right Now.
The Titans have actually discussed trading Tannehill as he enters the final year of his contract. Obviously, no takers so far.
And this is going to get interesting because if the Titans wish to start the career clock on Levis right away, they can actually cut Tannehill now and save around $17 million. Or they can wait until after June 1 and save a whopping $27 million off their salary cap.
That route, however, would mean the Titans are merely starting from scratch despite having a veteran roster.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill #17 of the Tennessee Titans takes the field before the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Nissan Stadium on January 22, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Keeping Ryan Tannehill Might Be The Play
It might be smarter to keep Tannehill and let Levis -- and Willis -- develop a little bit.
Levis clearly needs some improvement after throwing 23 interceptions the past two years in college.
Tannehill, 35, in July would be a solid veteran presence who can help tutor his young teammates in the quarterback room even as he keeps the Titans a club that can win in the AFC South.
About the AFC South:
The Houston Texans have a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud.
The Indianapolis Colts have a rookie quarterback in Anthony Richardson.
The Titans obviously have Levis.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the team with the veteran at quarterback. Trevor Lawrence, drafted No. 1 overall in 2021, is the elder statesman at age 23.