Will Levis meets expectations at Titans rookie minicamp
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis practiced in front of the media for the first time on Saturday during Tennessee's rookie minicamp, and the 33rd overall pick was as advertised. Watching Levis throw in person, he lived up to every expectation, both positive and negative, that I had for him prior to the draft. […]
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis practiced in front of the media for the first time on Saturday during Tennessee's rookie minicamp, and the 33rd overall pick was as advertised.
Watching Levis throw in person, he lived up to every expectation, both positive and negative, that I had for him prior to the draft. That said, Levis' overall rookie minicamp performance was really impressive.
Levis showed a lot of comfort in the Titans' offense and his physical tools helped him overcome the occasional bad decision.
You can never truly tell which players stand out until the pads come on and things go full speed. The defense Levis was facing on Saturday was not delivering hits on the quarterback, did not always have 11 guys on the field, and did not have the same strength, speed, and skill that starting NFL defenses will have.
Because of that, Levis' big moments in practice need to be taken for what they were: Practice highlights.
There was definitely a lot to like, though. Levis' ball placement was really good all afternoon. He effortlessly threw to the perimeter with accuracy while showing off some touch down the field. That's not nothing.
Levis' release is noticeably quick. The ball explodes out of his hand and he's well-timed in play-action, which is massive in a Titans' offense built around Derrick Henry and the run game. I'd also expect Levis to be a factor as a runner.
Here's a look at some of Saturday's practice highlights from the 2023 second-round pick during individual drills:
So much of Levis' skillset and what he does well should translate nicely into Tennessee's offense. That's due, in part, to his experience in a pro-style system at Kentucky.
Levis told Titans media with confidence that "a lot" of his college offense transfers to what he's doing in Tennessee, even if it may be called something completely different.
"You can fall into the traps of 'this is what we called this at Kentucky so that's what I want to call this in my mind.' You've got to erase that. You've got to erase everything from the past and put it in the language of how we call it. That's been the biggest thing for me," Levis said.
But even if Levis is comfortable with the plays the Titans offense uses, head coach Mike Vrabel believes the most difficult part of Levis' NFL transition is adjusting to the opposing defenses.
Defense in the NFL is a step above anything Levis saw in college, even playing in the SEC. The players are faster, the defensive fronts are stronger, and the coverages are more complex.
"The defenses are going to be much different," Vrabel told the media when asked about Levis' NFL transition. "For a young quarterback, it's going to be the defensive looks, it's going to be the disguises, it's going to be the different roll coverages, some of the different fronts you'll have to handle. So [Levis] may have some working knowledge of the concepts of the play, but the defense that he'll be going against are much different from the ones he got in college."
Levis is not expected to come without flaws. His decision making and turnover rate was a concern at Kentucky, and as he takes the next step in his career, that remains a work in progress.
The final play of practice on Saturday was Levis delivering a beautiful ball to fifth-round tight end Josh Whyle into a tight window and beating two defenders 25 yards down field. Whyle called the ball placement "pretty darn good" with a big smile on his face when asked about the play after practice.
But even then, Vrabel was hoping to see a better decision from his rookie QB. Against a starting NFL defense, Vrabel felt that Levis' pass would have been picked off. The Titans are trying to work with Levis on understanding that a successful play does not always come as a result of a sound process, which should be the goal.
Still, this is not an unexpected obstacle for Levis in May before his rookie season. The fact that the Titans have a playmaking young quarterback with all the tools to succeed in their offense should be the celebrated takeaway from Saturday's practice. Hopefully we see Levis continue to make strides as he gets more acclimated.
