Will Levis: Rocket Man

Will Levis was exactly who we thought he was. The pre-draft noise was incredibly loud, but that was silenced as Levis fell out of the first round altogether. NFL teams have become increasingly smart with their QB evaluations, and Levis had enough flaws to cause teams to wait. Levis might have been a poor investment with a top 10 pick, but he's absolutely worth it at the top of the 2nd round. I'm asking you to do the same with your fantasy capital.

You don't have to spend big on Will Levis. In any format. He's QB22 in dynasty rankings and QB24 in bestball. These are appropriate values. My hot take is simply that you should be the guy to draft him. Or if you're really smart acquire him as a throw-in on a trade - costs a second round pick in dynastyland.

Will's arm talent leaps off the screen. His strength is 100% legit, and he's capable of making rare throws even for NFL standards. He makes this backpedaling fade look easy. Casually striking Westbrook-Ihkine on the sideline for a huge gain on a free play.

He's a capable deep ball thrower with a natural understanding for leverage. He can anticipate windows and places a very catchable ball.

He's also physically strong. It's tough to knock Will off his spot, and with such strong contact survival he can stay connected to his target and deliver the ball regardless of immediate perturbation.

Here he is tossing a heater into triple coverage. While getting tackled.

Will's raw arm strength is almost comical. He makes up for questionable timing and footwork with bazooka tier power. When pressure is in his face or downfield traffic creates a conflict, he's able to solve the issue by blasting it away. While this backpedaling bomb to Nuk is ultimately another failed deep pass, most QBs have neither the guts nor the guns to make the attempt. Will is very close. A full offseason of fine-tuning their timing should be enough to convert these big plays.

Will is more than just a dumb brute running around with an RPG. He's got finesse to his game that bangs as loudly as any deep ball. He does a good job sorting through this rush and layers the ball to Hopkins on the move.

PA shot lofting over linebackers.

Will was impressive working his quick-read game. He's a fast, confident decision-maker. Here the pre-snap picture is 2 Hi, but the right safety rolls down on the snap. Although Will's first read is the left side of the field, when he moves back to his right, his decision to go to Hopkins is instantaneous. Zero hesitation.

More gunslinger audacity on this play below. Knowing Chigo Okonkwo (# 85) has an in route against the outside leverage of the cornerback (Xavien Howard # 25), Levis decides to attack based on the inside safety's (# 29) body language. As soon as he sees 29 look to the right, Levis guns it in to Chigo. Is it risky? Yes. Does it work? Yes.

Will's not stupid, he's just insane.

Will Levis' struggles in college were not ameliorated in any way at the next level. He's still terribly inconsistent. Missed opportunities may way on his teammates. Here's a rocket armed overthrow on 3rd & 8 to an open Deandre Hopkins.

There will be a fair amount of plays where Will totally misfires. This seems to be miscommunication, but its a routine read and needs to be automatic at this level.

Will struggled with consistent footwork on the run at Kentucky. More of that here as he drives the ball into the dirt.

Again, the rocket is not a reliable short-range weapon. It can also be hard move such artillery. Will acts the part of Wile E. Coyote here and flailing to turf as he blasts an open touchdown opportunity into the ground.

The biggest challenge for any rookie rocket man is a lack of support. Last year, Will's offensive line was a mess. His receivers were mediocre. This year, things are looking up. He's not burning out his fuse up there alone. With the addition of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, Will has a deeper group of true man-beaters to rely on.

But even if he's receivers continue to fail him, Will's confidence will not falter. The guy eats banana peels, he can stomach anything.

Most importantly, he has Lady Luck on his side. He knows deep down if he just throws the ball hard enough, it will miraculously move through any defender's hands to reach its intended target.

Quarterbacks are conduits for their offense. The more talented they are as a thrower, the more adventurous the coach can be with his downfield attacks. Levis will make mistakes. He will ignore defenders. He will throw errant passes that turn into pick 6's. But the Titans are going to give Will a very long leash this season. Everyone in the building knows there's only one QB that has the talent and mental toughness to make their recent offensive investments worthwhile.

Expect to see some Jordan Love growing pains. Expect that Drew Lock and Blake Bortles comparisons will haunt you during his development. But Will's quick decision-making and stungun release quickness are enough to take this low-cost gamble. Will Levis has the potential to be a legitimate fantasy option for a long, long time. A couple touchdowns will bring you 'round again to find... that he's the Rocket Man.