Raiders: Kentucky QB Will Levis would be a disaster for Las Vegas
By Jason Willis
Raiders: Kentucky QB Will Levis would be a disaster for Las Vegas
Why it won’t work
Among the four first-round options at quarterback in this year’s draft, Levis is considered by many to be one who could start playing right away. Sure some time on the bench would be helpful in his development because it rarely hurts but, if needed, he can take snaps for you from day one. In Las Vegas, this could be catastrophic.
Upon trading for Davante Adams, the Raiders gave themselves a window in which they could compete. With a potential out in his contract in 2025, the team has until that season to build a winner, and wasting years is not possible in Las Vegas.
As such, the offense, which also features Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow, can not afford to wait for Levis to be ready. The team needs a quarterback who is ready to play now. When watching Levis at Kentucky, he is much rawer at the intricacies of the position than some would have you believe.
Firstly, he struggles immensely in the pocket where he almost immediately gives up on a play when he feels pressure and takes off. While his legs are no doubt a weapon, NFL offenses will need him to win from the pocket as well. When he does stay in the pocket, he struggles to diagnose coverage changes post-snap and throws some bewildering interceptions because of it. In the NFL, the defenses will only get more complex.
With these issues, it is hard to believe he could step in on day one and play quarterback for Josh McDaniels in a notoriously complex offense.
While Josh Allen is no doubt an incredible player who any team would be lucky to have, he is also an anomaly. The transition from bad college quarterback to elite NFL quarterback is profoundly rare. In a city known for its gambling, this one might even be too big for Las Vegas.