After 1st-round freefall, Levis to Titans at No. 33

After tumbling out of the first round of the NFL draft, Will Levis finally found a home with the Tennessee Titans, who traded up Friday night to select the former Kentucky quarterback with the No. 33 overall pick.

After not taking a quarterback in Thursday’s first round, the Titans made an aggressive move for their potential quarterback of the future one night later by agreeing to a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, who acquired Tennessee’s second-round pick (No. 41 overall) and third-round pick (No. 72).

The Titans also received a third-round pick (No. 81) from the Cardinals to land Levis, who was widely projected to be selected in the first round Thursday but was still available ahead of Friday’s second round.

Levis completed 65.4% of his passes last season at Kentucky for 2,406 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The two-time captain finished his career with a 17-7 record as a starter, tying Terry Wilson for Kentucky’s second-most quarterback wins since 1993.

With veteran Ryan Tannehill expected to be the Titans’ starter this season, Levis will get the opportunity to spend a year in an understudy role. At age 35, Tannehill’s contract has two voidable years at a combined $9.2 million in cap charges after the 2023 season.

Barring any setbacks, Levis will take over as the starter in 2024 if the Titans void the remaining two years on Tannehill’s deal. In the meantime, Levis will compete with Tennessee’s 2022 third-round pick, Malik Willis, to be Tannehill’s backup under new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.