Kentucky quarterback Will Levis throws against Tennessee on Oct. 29. Wade Payne/Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Will Levis didn’t stick around to hear his name called after slipping out of the first round. He wouldn’t have waited long.
The Tennessee Titans traded up to get the second pick of the second round and took the Kentucky quarterback with the 33rd overall pick of the NFL draft on Friday night.
Levis was expected to go in the top 15, with some draft analysts projecting him in the top five. A few days before the draft, oddsmakers even made Levis the favorite to be the second QB selected behind Bryce Young.
But Young went first to Carolina, C.J. Stroud was picked second by Houston and Anthony Richardson was selected at No. 4 by Indianapolis. Levis kept waiting and once the Titans passed on him at No. 11, it became a grueling night. Television cameras panned over to Levis sitting with his girlfriend and family, staring at his phone.
The Titans weren’t going to pass him up again. They were aggressive, making a deal with the Arizona Cardinals to get their guy.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Levis has prototypical size and athleticism. He’s got a strong arm and muscular build. But his accuracy and decision-making were inconsistent, especially last season when he played through injuries.
Levis, who played two seasons at Kentucky after transferring from Penn State, won’t have to play right away in Tennessee. The Titans have veteran Ryan Tannehill. They also drafted Malik Willis in the third round last year.
Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White was also seen as a possible first-round pick after his standout season for the Yellow Jackets, but was not among the four defensive ends selected on Thursday and was among four of the 17 invited to Kansas City by the NFL who were not selected.
On Friday night, the wait ended quickly when White was selected 46th overall by New England. At No. 76, the Patriots picked up safety Marte Mapu from Sacramento State.
“There’s still so much stuff to learn,” White told reporters after he was selected. “The transition was for the best. It got me to this point now. But I’m still working. I’m still improving, I feel like we all are. No matter if you’re an All-Pro or you’re a rookie.”
Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White was selected by the Patriots on Friday with the 46th overall pick. Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
White is an ultra-athletic 6-foot-5, 285-pound pass rusher. He started his collegiate career at Old Dominion before transferring to Georgia Tech in 2021. At Old Dominion, White was a tight end where he caught 11 passes for 124 yards in 2019. He missed most of his first season in the ACC, but was very productive last fall, amassing 54 tackles, 14 for loss and 7.5 sacks. White led Georgia Tech in sacks and tackles for loss en route to earning third team All-ACC honors.
For his size, White, 24, is freakishly athletic. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.76, posted a vertical of 34 inches, pushed up 30 reps on the bench press and broad jumped 9-feet-9 inches. The Patriots met with White at the Senior Bowl.
White now joins a stacked defensive line group in New England. The Patriots saw career years out of Matthew Judon (15.5 sacks), Josh Uche (11.5 sacks) and Deatrich Wise (7.5 sacks) last season. Those three players had more combined sacks (34.5) than six other NFL teams (Atlanta, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago, Green Bay and Las Vegas). All three return to New England.
“I didn’t have any contact with the Patriots. So it was a surprise to me,” White said. “I feel like our personalities mix well, though. So I feel like it’s a really good fit.
“I want to work. I want to win. And I feel like that’s what the Patriots offer. And I feel like that’s where we meet in the middle there.”
White gives the Patriots an embarrassment of riches at this position, but it’s not a complete surprise. Uche enters this season in a contract year and could cash in next offseason. Judon turns 31 this summer while Wise turns 29. With White, the Patriots add a young edge rusher with scheme versatility (he can play inside and outside the line) who is under contract for the next four seasons.
Mapu, at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, was a first-team FCS All-American and the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. He finished his final season with 76 tackles, with 6 1/2 for a loss, two interceptions, four pass breakups and a blocked kick.
His profile is similar to that of fourth-year Patriots safety Kyle Dugger, who played at Division II Lenore-Rhyne an is now a versatile part of the defense.
On Thursday, the Patriots moved back three spots in the first round and selected former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the 17th pick.
Day 2 of the draft kicked off with the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the first pick of the second round.
His dad, Joey Porter, was a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker in his eight seasons with Pittsburgh.
With Steelers fans waving their yellow “Terrible Towels” among a crowd of more than 100,000 mostly red-clad Chiefs fans, Hall of Fame offensive lineman Alan Faneca stepped to the podium and announced Porter was the first pick of the second round.
Miami added depth to its secondary by selecting South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith with the 51st pick.
The Dolphins did not have a first-round pick after forfeiting one when an NFL investigation found they violated the league’s antitampering policy regarding communication with Tom Brady and Sean Payton.
Smith – a prospect that some experts felt had first-round talent – had six interceptions and 3.5 tackles for loss during his career with the Gamecocks. He’s joining a Dolphins secondary that was decimated by injuries last season, which played a role in Miami finishing 27th in passing defense in 2022.
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