Vikings Thought ‘Outside the Box’ with Will Levis at Combine
Dustin Baker
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Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Will Levis won’t be around for the Minnesota Vikings when the team selects a prospect with the No. 23 overall pick, but that’s not stopping Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell from doing diligence.
Levis is projected to be picked in the Top 10 of April’s draft — and maybe even in the Top 5.
Vikings Thought ‘Outside the Box’ with Will Levis at Combine
Minnesota met with Levis this week at the 2023 NFL Combine, and apparently, the Vikings thought ‘outside the box’ during their interview with the young quarterback.
Levis met with the media Friday in Indianapolis and was asked if any team had done anything out of the norm during the interview process. He identified the Vikings as the only example and explained, “I think the only thing I can think of –- Minnesota had a football. They just kind of had you have a football in your hands, which is nice because I like having something to kind of play around with. I don’t know if it’s because they wanted to see how big my hands were or something.”
The Vikings have Kirk Cousins under contract for at least one more year but could still draft his successor in the upcoming draft if they are patient enough to let the prospect learn behind Cousins for a year or two.
Levis hasn’t been credibly linked to the Vikings — at all — during this draft cycle, chiefly because most draft brains wholeheartedly believe he’ll be long gone before the Vikings walk to the podium. If Adofo-Mensah wanted Levis as his Cousins replacement, he’d have to trade multiple draft assets to a team in the Top 5 or 10 of the draft order.
The 6’3″ 230-pounder is known for arm strength, pro-style mechanics, and possesses a massive upside. His weaknesses are limited, although some have tabbed his decision-making and turnovers as a bit suspect.
Levis’ pro comp is somewhere between Jameis Winston and Josh Allen, so there’s quite a bit of variance there, depending on one’s opinion. The Draft Network described his skillset, “He has the requisite size/build, mobility, and arm talent NFL evaluators long for. His arm strength is outstanding and well on par among some of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. He has the ability to fit passes into tight windows and generate velocity/RPMs with minimal effort.”
The Vikings have drafted three quarterbacks in the first three rounds since 2010 — and missed on all three. Christian Ponder was the most egregious example in 2011. He simply wasn’t any good. Teddy Bridgewater arrived in 2014 but succumbed to injury two years later. And Kellen Mond didn’t work out with the Vikings new leadership regime last summer. At some point, the franchise must hit on a quarterback in the draft.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper sent Levis to the Carolina Panthers at No. 5 in his latest mock draft.
The Vikings also reportedly met with the University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson this week.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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