INDIANAPOLIS – It was a real flex.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis would never turn down the chance to show off his prodigious arm strength.
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Levis wants to showcase his arm at the NFL scouting combine Saturday.
“Because I’ve got a cannon,” Levis said. “I want to show it off.”
Levis is one of the highest ranked quarterbacks. He met with the Texans formally.
The 6-foot-3, 231-pound Penn State transfer is competing with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Florida’s Anthony Richardson for position in the top 10 selections of the draft.
Levis has said he can heave a football 80 yards in the air.
Sacked 36 times as a senior and dealing with foot, finger and shoulder injuries, Levis passed for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was better as a junior, passing for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
“I think this past year, season didn’t go as well as we would have wanted it to,” Levis said. But learned a lot from it. Learned how to kind of battle through adversity and dealt with a lot of things physically, situationally that was tough. But just became a better player, better quarterback because of it. I mean, I’m going to show what I’m about once I get to that next level and do my best to show that to these coaches throughout this week.”
He rushed for 376 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. He had minus-107 yards and two touchdowns as a senior.
“Right now, I could bring them a championship with the confidence I have,” Levis said. “I think I’m able to simulate myself very, very well, better than anybody else. That’s the confidence I have. It’s due to my experience and to my physical tools. I think I’m gonna be able to be plugged into any offense very well.”
Levis met with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He talked with Panthers coach Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown.
“They kind of had him explain the offense and then have me relay it back to them,” Levis said. “I think it’s a great for them to kind of figure out my knowledge and then also learn whatever I can from them as well.”
Levis patterns his game after Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“Joe is someone, especially in this offseason, that I focused a lot on,” Levis said. “I think this offseason, compared to offseasons in the past, I’ve really tried to perfect the movement leading up to the throw. I think that when I make some inaccurate passes, it’s due to how I’m initiating the movement leading into it.
“A lot of times I could get away with it because of how talented of an arm I have. Joe, I think, does better than anyone else in terms of movement in the pocket. Not the fastest guy, but just able to move so efficiently to put himself in a stable base to make efficient throws. Been watching a lot of film on him this offseason.”
Aaron Wilson is an NFL and Texans reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com