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May 1 (UPI) -- Will Levis headlined a cast of top prospects who slipped out of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which featured a record 43 trades and ended with Desjaun Johnson's selection as the No. 259 overall pick. The annual event, which was held from Thursday through Saturday in Kansas City, Mo., started with the selection of Bryce Young at No. 1 overall. The former Alabama quarterback was one of five players selected by the Carolina Panthers.
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C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Anthony Richardson of Florida were the other quarterbacks selected in the first round Thursday at Union Station. Levis, who entered the draft with the second-best odds to go No. 1, instead went No. 33 overall as a second-round pick by the Tennessee Titans.
"I just stayed positive," the former Kentucky quarterback told reporters. "I knew what was meant to be was going to happen."
Cameras constantly panned to Levis as he waited in the green room Thursday, when 31 other players heard their names called. The Pittsburgh Steelers started the second round by picking former Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. at No. 32 overall. The Titans then opted to trade a second- and third-round pick in 2023 and a third-round pick in 2024 to the Arizona Cardinals for the No. 33 pick and a third-round pick in 2023.
They ended Levis' extended wait after that swap. Levis would have earned nearly $40 million through his rookie deal as the No. 1 overall pick, according to estimates from Spotrac.com. His rookie deal as a second-round selection is expected to be about $9.5 million. Despite that salary slip and unexpected fall in the draft order, Levis said he plans to be as prepared for the NFL as he would have been if he was picked earlier on.
"Regardless of where I got picked, I feel like it's not going to change my work ethic," Levis said. "You can't let the circumstances dictate your preparation and level of intensity you bring to practice. It gives me a little bit of a chip, but I was going to work hard regardless of where I got picked."
Tight end Michael Mayer of Notre Dame, defensive back Brian Branch of Alabama and edge rusher Keion White of Georgia Tech joined Porter and Levis in a group of players who entered the draft with first-round projections, but slipped to the second.
The first round of this year's draft featured six trades, just shy of the record nine first-round swaps in 2022. Another 37 trades occurred Friday and Saturday from the second- through seventh round. The transaction frenzy broke the previous record of 40 trades, set during the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns completed the final transaction of the 2023 event. The Ravens used that pick to claim the No. 229 pick, which they used to snag former USC offensive tackle Andrew Vorhees. Vorhees was considered a third- or fourth-round pick earlier this year, but tore his ACL this off-season.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive lineman still logged an NFL scouting combine-best 38 reps on the bench press at that event in April in Indianapolis.
Thirty picks later, the Los Angeles Rams snagged former Toledo defensive end Desjuan Johnson at No. 259 overall, the final selection of the 2023 NFL Draft.
"It's a blessing," Johnson told reporters. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime type of deal. It's a great opportunity. I'm just blessed to be in the position to get drafted."
The 6-foot-2, 285-pound earned the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant" for being the last pick. The moniker is given to the final pick of the draft each year.
The San Francisco 49ers selected former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy with the No. 262 pick to end the 2022 NFL Draft. Last year's 'Mr. Irrelevant' went on to throw 13 touchdown passes and four interceptions while leading the 49ers to a 6-0 record over the final six weeks of the regular season. Purdy also helped the 49ers win their first two playoff games, before he was injured in the NFC Championship game.
NFL rookie minicamps will be held from Friday through May 8 or May 12 through 15. Training camps will open in July. The preseason will start in early August.
The 2024 NFL Draft will be held from April 25 through 27 in Detroit.
