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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Dan Lyons

Ryan Leaf Explains Why Will Levis ‘Won’ the First Round by Going Undrafted

The first-round of the 2023 NFL draft produced a number of notable storylines. Unfortunately for Kentucky’s Will Levis, his slide into the second round is among those garnering the most attention after Thursday night.

For Levis, a widely projected top-10 pick who was even the subject of some strange “No. 1 pick” rumors heading into the first-round, falling this far may seem like failure. Former No. 2 pick Ryan Leaf, perhaps the most famous NFL draft “bust” of all-time, says it is exactly the opposite, arguing that Levis “won the first-round” by ditching the expectations that come with a high selection.

In a Good Morning Football segment on the winners of the first-round, Leaf made his case, stating that Levis did not have a first-round grade from many around the league, and that a high pick would have set him up for failure.

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