New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner tried to lift up former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, as the NFL prospect fell out of the first round on Thursday night, even as he was rumored to be a top-five pick.
The broadcast cameras panned to Levis throughout the night as optimism that he would be selected in the first round waned. Gardner came to the aid of Levis on Twitter.
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Sauce Gardner, #1 of the New York Jets, reacts prior to an NFL football game between the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars at MetLife Stadium on Dec. 22, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“Will Levis… God makes no mistakes. You will be great,” Gardner’s classy tweet read.
There were three quarterbacks taken within the first four picks of the draft. The Carolina Panthers took Bryce Young, Houston Texans selected C.J. Stroud and the Indianapolis Colts took Anthony Richardson. No other quarterbacks were selected in the first round.
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A detail shot of a Will Levis football next to a telephone in the green room backstage during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Making matters more complicated, a Reddit rumor appeared earlier in the week which said Levis was telling friends and family he was going to be picked by the Panthers. It moved the betting markets to favor Levis as a 400-1 shot to be taken No. 1 instead of 4000-1 in which he was originally projected.
He downplayed the rumor.
“All I’ve said is don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” he said on Wednesday.
ESPN reported one team considered a toe injury Levis suffered in his final season at Kentucky to be “problematic.” Another team reportedly believed a discussion about surgery could’ve been had. Levis apparently disagreed with those assessments.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis poses for a photo on the NFL Draft Red Carpet before the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, April 27, 2023. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
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In his two full seasons as Kentucky’s quarterback (24 games), Levis threw for 5,232 yards, 33 touchdowns and 23 interceptions with a 65.7 completion percentage.
