The Tennessee Titans selected a prospective franchise quarterback in Will Levis with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Kentucky product possesses an elite arm that will immediately translate to the next level, but finds himself in a position battle with Tennessee's third-round pick from last year, Malik Willis.
Levis got his first NFL action in the Titans' preseason matchup Saturday against the Chicago Bears. The rookie completed 9 of 14 passes for 85 yards and an interception while taking four sacks in the 23-17 loss, but he's just getting his feet wet. On Sunday, Levis spoke to CBS Sports about how his transition to the next level is going, what it's like playing for the Titans organization and why his team is capable of surprising people in 2023.
CBS Sports: Tell us about your first preseason game. What did you learn from it?
Levis: It was a lot of fun. I mean, everything that led up to it from OTAs in the spring to training camp and getting down the playbook and learning everything. I truly felt like my preparation throughout those phases of my pro career helped me for that moment, and I had a lot of fun. Went out there with a lot of confidence, didn't have a lot of nerves which felt great, and just felt good with the decisions that I made. Took a lot of great things from the game, and some learning points as well.
How's training camp going in general? What's something that you've learned about the NFL level on the practice field?
Levis: I'd just say what it takes to be successful at this level as a quarterback from the mental standpoint. I always felt like I had a pretty decent grasp on offenses and how to break down a defense and how to dissect what's the answer for a certain play vs. a certain look. A lot of that for me came naturally and I was able to get past some of the maybe wrong decisions that I made in the past because of my ability. But you know that room for error is so much smaller in the NFL. So committing to really understanding the mental side of the game and the breakdown of defenses -- my commitment to that I felt like helped me a lot for my first preseason game, and that's just something I'm looking forward to continuing to develop.
What's it like working under Mike Vrabel? He seems like one of the best in the biz.
Levis: He's awesome. There's a reason why he is one of the best in the business, and why he's regarded as such. I think anyone who can spend just a few days in this organization in the locker room, day in and day out with him can see just how much of a well-oiled machine this organization is.
Other than just a good coach, he's an incredible human being. Someone who's always gonna be there for his guys. He's intense, he works hard and he's been there before and he already has the respect of everybody in the league because of what he was able to do in this league. He doesn't shy away from reminding us that. That, you know, when you're talking about special teams, that's how he made his mark in the league when he started. It goes that much further when you got a guy, a multiworld champion, a guy who played for however many years he did. It goes a long way as a head coach.
How did you feel when you heard DeAndre Hopkins was on his way to Tennessee? What's it like throwing the ball to him?
Levis: Yeah I was excited to hear that, man. He's an incredible player, incredible human being, he made an immediate impact from the first day he got there. The savviness that he brings to this game, just the mental IQ that he has with the routes that he runs and the feel in space that he has. It's really cool to see. He does a lot of things that you don't see a lot of other guys do, and it's just a testament to how good he's been for how long he's been in the league. I'm looking forward to continuing my relationship with him and building chemistry with him.
Who is a wide receiver or tight end that you feel like you have created a little bit of chemistry with at practice?
Levis: Tight end, I would say Josh Whyle just because he was in my rookie class and just personally we're really close just from getting drafted together, as well as Colton Dowell. He was our seventh-round pick. The connection we have off the field kind of led to a natural connection on the field. So [I'm] comfortable with both those dudes and I've been really proud of how each of them have approached every single day since they've been here.
How has Ryan Tannehill been as a mentor or leader?
Levis: He's been great. I learn from him every day. He's always active in meetings and he's always helping with every single position group just trying to get everyone in line and bringing everybody up to the standard that we have for our offense. Shoot, there's a reason why he's played as long as he has and he's an excellent quarterback. He throws some awesome balls and he has a really deep understanding for defenses and offensive philosophies. Hearing what goes through his mind when he's making a decision or in hindsight about a certain play that he had and how he would have approached it differently, I've been able to learn a lot from him already, and I'm really grateful that he's on our team.
It seems like the national media is down on the Titans this year, but you've been around this team, you've been on the field with them. Why are the Titans capable of surprising the doubters in 2023?
Levis: I think it starts with our ownership and just goes top down of the people that we have in the organization and how we run it. I feel like year in and year out, people are low on the Titans and then year in and year out, we keep coming out and we keep proving them wrong. We're looking for that to be another one of those years. We're not listening to what people are saying on the outside, we're focusing on our team, our culture and trying to just live up to our standard and work our tails off. Hard work is a lost art in some forms, and that's really all it takes. If you have the right attitude about things, you pay attention to the little things and just do your job every day -- and if everyone has that mindset, then you have opportunities to do great things, just like I think we do this year.
Levis spoke to CBS Sports in promoting EVO Visian Implantable Collamer Lenses.
Levis: They're incredible. I truly think it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I wore glasses first and then I think I begged my parents immediately after to be able to get contact lenses. I've been struggling with vision for around 12 years and the EVO lenses are a newer breakthrough FDA-approved implantable lens that are a dream come true with people who struggle with long-distance vision. When I learned about it, I was immediately intrigued. I did my due diligence, found out that it was right for me, and it was, like I said, one of the best decisions I ever made.
