Will Levis sat in the NFL draft green room from start to finish on Thursday night, waiting for a phone call that never came. A day later, the Kentucky quarterback won't subject himself to another waiting game, at least on live TV. The longtime first-round projection will not return to the room, which is open to invited prospects at the site of the draft, for the start of the second round.
Levis is one of three different players who will not return to the green room, according to reports, alongside Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Georgia Tech pass rusher Keion White. Only Alabama safety Brian Branch, who also attended on Thursday, will be back for Day 2 of the draft, meaning he'll have the opportunity to walk the stage in Kansas City if/when he's selected.
It didn't take long for Porter to hear his name called on Friday, as the Steelers selected him with the first pick of the second round, 14 years after taking his father Joey Porter in the 1999 draft.
Levis is the most notable name to drop early in the 2023 NFL Draft, skyrocketing as a betting favorite to go as early as No. 1 overall days before the event. Multiple QB-needy teams passed on the signal-caller Thursday, however, amid reported concerns over a toe injury that affected the Kentucky product in 2022. Porter Jr. had also been widely projected as a first-round target, only for four other cornerbacks -- Devon Witherspoon, Emmanuel Forbes, Christian Gonzalez and Deonte Banks -- to come off the board.
