Lexington, Kentucky was the focus of the football world for a day. Yes, the basketball school had all NFL eyes on it during their football Pro Day on March 24th. That is the result of having a potential top-5 pick at quarterback.
We’ll talk about Will Levis, obviously, but I would also like to highlight a couple of other guys that might be on the Colts’ radar. One player is a position of need and the other might be seen as a luxury.
QB 1… 4?
Will Levis… you either love him or you hate him. That’s how it feels when discussing the quarterback on Twitter. However, I believe we can all agree that he does not lack arm talent.
Levis had the arm talent on full display at his Pro Day showing. Just warming up with flat-footed throws, the pop on the receiver’s gloves echoes throughout Nutter Field House. An extraordinary velocity that you do not see all that often, especially when discussing college prospects.
Is he all zip and no finesse? That may be the biggest knock on the 23-year-old quarterback. During his throwing session, most of his misses were just slightly short. Although, the young receivers weren’t helping the case with some of the dropped passes.
Another knock on Will is his lower body. At times, his footwork becomes a mess and you can really see the cause for some of the misses. You also cannot help but notice the elite arm talent that he has been blessed with. Levis spoke about working with Jordan Palmer to help get his lower body in check without having to compensate with his arm strength.
During his red-zone work, he looked very comfortable throwing wheel routes to Chris Rodriguez Jr. with some touch. Each ball he threw during this segment looked very well-placed. Everyone there had admiration for those throws.
QB, Will Levis working some redzone wheel routes to RB, Chris Rodriguez Jr. #UKProDay pic.twitter.com/N3jl2Ee3Xx
— WillLevisSZN (@ZClemonsTBS) March 24, 2023
The deep ball segment of throwing provided some fireworks, but not as exciting as you would expect from such a big arm. A few under-thrown balls, but nothing of major concern. Did he need to prove he can launch the football? No, we all know.
Beautiful deep ball for Will Levis @ #UKProDay pic.twitter.com/qJ0YHeLDwI
— WillLevisSZN (@ZClemonsTBS) March 24, 2023
Developing touch and footwork is a task, but is a much easier task than trying to develop arm strength. Some things you just cannot teach. Levis has all of the power and zip to make any throw you need at the NFL level. Whether he is rolling to his left or right, dropping back, or on the run, he has all of the arm you can ask for.
Outside shoulder. Outside the numbers in the deep third. These are the throws you need an NFL arm for at the next level.
Will Levis can improve his precision downfield, but he’s showing off that velocity generation here.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) March 24, 2023
Great Arm, Even Better Leader?
Something that stands out when talking about Will Levis, is the leadership factor. This guy knows adversity all too well. You will never have to question the competitor inside of him.
An absolute football junkie is how many describe the Kentucky product. When talking X’s and O’s, it seems Levis is really standing out among the teams that have spoken with him. His teammates and college coaching staff rave about the way Will studies film.
The Head Coach of the University of Kentucky’s football program, Mark Stoops, spoke very highly about the leadership that his QB1 provided over his 2 seasons in Lexington. Fellow Wildcat and NFL running back prospect, Chris Rodriguez Jr. would echo those same praises.
Imagine having a different offensive coordinator in each of your 4 seasons playing college football. Levis adapted and learned each playbook that was put in front of him. A fiery leader that can handle anything thrown at him is someone you look to lead your franchise.
Will also spoke about his readiness to play day 1 after being drafted. He believes that will set him apart from some of the other quarterbacks in this draft class. That confidence is a result of the path he has taken in this football journey.
A Ballard Guy?
Carrington Valentine, defensive back, really stood out during the Pro Day showing. Listed at 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, Valentine does not lack the size to play corner at the next level. At first glance, you can tell he has length and strength that could give receivers some issues.
Outside of the size, the prospect showed he has all of the speed. Carrington elected to run the 40-yard dash and a scout near me had him clocked at 4.38 seconds. After seeing that number, he elected that one attempt was enough.
Carrington Valentine, DB, can MOVE!
Clock near me had him at 4.38 #UKProDay pic.twitter.com/wYmfkekx4g
— WillLevisSZN (@ZClemonsTBS) March 24, 2023
Shortly after, Valentine posted an elite shuttle time of 4.02 seconds. That would have been a Scouting Combine best time. The defensive back showed some great athleticism and twitch that could translate in the NFL.
Elite shuttle from @run_carri7 my video editing timeline has this at 4.02 which would have been a combine best pic.twitter.com/nAK2FcAAiH
— Jesse Riffe (@JesseRiffe) March 24, 2023
The Ohio product posted 119 tackles, 2 sacks, 16 pass breakups, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble during his three years in Lexington. Valentine would need to develop his technique and hands to be a starting cornerback in the NFL. With that being said, it would not surprise me to see him selected by Ballard during Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
Backfield Luxury
Another guy that had a great showing was running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. Coming in at 5-feet 11-inches tall and 224 pounds, C-Rod is a load to deal with. He does a great job keeping his weight low when carrying the ball.
The running back totaled 3,644 rushing yards with 32 rushing touchdowns in his time at Kentucky. The tape will tell you everything about this guy. More specifically, he runs and runs hard.
Rodriguez Jr. showed off some unexpected speed during his two attempts at the 40-yard dash. Scouts near me had him clocked as quickly as 4.45 seconds, whereas others had him around the 4.53 seconds mark. Every scout had a surprised look on their face though.
Lots of chatter after RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. runs his first attempt at the 40.
Someone had him clocked at 4.45 #UKProDay pic.twitter.com/JQXH4qWsV0
— WillLevisSZN (@ZClemonsTBS) March 24, 2023
Midwest area scout for the Indianapolis Colts, Mike Lacy, put Chris through some blocking drills to help showcase his protecting abilities. We also got to watch him run routes out of the backfield and show exceptional hands when catching the ball.
Will Levis described what teams would get if they select Chris Rodriguez Jr. as best he could, “a dog.” It’s no secret they enjoyed their time together in Lexington. Teams looking for a do-it-all running back will definitely have C-Rod on their boards.
.@will_levis and @CROD_JR show each other some brotherly love during UK's Pro Day!
We'll have a recap of how the 11 @UKFootball players did on our show tonight! 7:30 p.m. on @LEX18News. pic.twitter.com/hEbiV9Z0D4
— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) March 24, 2023
