NFL Draft Rumors: Mel Kiper hints at Buccaneers trading up for QB prospect in post-Tom Brady era

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have their way, they could have a franchise quarterback sooner rather than later, greatly improving their chances in the post-Tom Brady era.

ESPN commentator Todd McShay has predicted that the Bucs will trade up to acquire Will Levis as the 14th overall pick. However, that represents a drop for the QB prospect out of Kentucky.

However, draft analyst Mel Kiper still thinks it is a high placement, especially when related to the quarterback rankings. On NFL Live on Wednesday night, he explained:

Mock drafts and quarterback rankings are different... If (Levis) slides, it's fine. Josh Allen slid, he was no. 1 on the board. Justin Fields slid, where was he ranked? Pretty high. So then teams trade up.

It's a tale of two seasons. 2021, some really good tape. 2022, I throw it out because he was beat up. He didn't have Wan'Dale Robinson at wide receiver. They lost Darian Kinnard and Luke Fortner. The scheme changed, the OC changed. Lian Coen went back to the Rams... So all these things were going all around him, and he was beat up from start to finish, so I will give Will Levis a pass.

Since Brady's retirement, the Bucs currently have Baker Mayfield on track to be their primary starter, and they also have incoming sophomore Kyle Trask on standby. So it is unlikely that they will trade up for Levis; however, anything may happen as the Draft inches closer.

How good was Will Levis for the Kentucky Wildcats in college?

After coming off a record-breaking senior season at Xavier High School in Middletown, Connecticut, where he threw for 2,793 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes, Will Levis initially enrolled at Penn State, where he redshirted his freshman season, and then rode the bench behind Sean Clifford. He started only two of 14 games with the Nittany Lions, going 61/102 in completions for 644 yards with three touchdowns against two interceptions, as well as 133 rushes for 473 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2021, after graduating from Penn State with a degree in finance, Levis transferred to Kentucky and immediately established himself as the Wildcats' starting quarterback. He threw for over 5,000 yards and 43 touchdowns and also recorded 11 touchdown rushes and three tackles (two solo, all in his final year). His most notable moment arguably came on New Year's Day 2022, when he led his team to a win at the Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes.