Patriots get flamed for hosting ‘Zach Wilson’s dairy-deterred cousin’ ahead of 2023 NFL Draft

Published Apr 21, 2023 01:06 GMT

NFL fans are comparing Will Levis to Zach Wilson

The New England Patriots might be up to something during the 2023 NFL draft. The team hosted Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, one of the top prospects in the position, and who might be available when the team gets on the clock with the 14th pick.

Levis is a polarizing prospect. Although he has one of the strongest arms in the entire draft class, there are a lot of flaws in his game, especially with his footwork and his ability to read opposing defenses. He could transform into a great quarterback in the NFL, but clearly it's going to take a lot of time and patience.

A popular pro comparison for Levis is Josh Allen, who also had a strong arm but needed years to develop into a great quarterback for the Buffalo Bills. Even so, Patriots fans are not happy with the possibility of taking Levis seven days from now.

Why is Will Levis being compared to Josh Allen? Can he become an NFL star?

It is fair to compare the situations of Josh Allen and Will Levis, but one cannot forget that in this story there is also Carson Wentz and several others who did not work out in the NFL despite having good athletic attributes.

Even more, players who fall into ideal situations, as in the case with Allen and the Bills, are more the exception than the rule. Understanding the game and being smart, in the end, are vital attributes in the NFL.

Should the Patriots take Will Levis in the first round?

It's not even worth discussing whether Levis is a first-round talent because it's expected that he won't make it past the first night. What cannot be assumed is that, by having a predraft process and attributes similar to Josh Allen, the result will be the same. That's not how things work.

If the Patriots get the Kentucky product, they need to be willing to be patient with the player, who won't become an overnight star. It can happen, of course. It's not inconceivable, especially with such an obvious example in recent years.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

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