After a dramatic fall from top-five projections all the way out of the first round, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis could probably use some encouragement.
ESPN liberally showed footage of Levis and his loved ones in the green room in Kansas City, looking increasingly jaded as pick after pick heard his name go uncalled Thursday night. Levis earned comparisons to (and contrasts from) some of the league's great 21st-century slippers, such as Jets and Ravens quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson.
New York cornerback Sauce Gardner, however, shared an encouraging message for Levis on Twitter as his wait dragged on into Day 2.
"Will Levis… God makes no mistakes. You will be great," Gardner wrote.
Will Levis… God makes no mistakes. You will be great.
— D’ROY GARDNER (@iamSauceGardner) April 28, 2023
Gardner, picked fourth in the 2022 draft, swept Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in his first pro season out of Cincinnati.
Time will tell whether Levis uses his first-round snubs as fuel to pull off a similar feat.
