What does Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper see in Will Levis?

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is reportedly keen on Kentucky prospect Will Levis, but what does he actually see in the quarterback?

The Carolina Panthers could be in the market for yet another quarterback in 2023. However, unlike the failed trades that blighted the Matt Rhule era, it’s widely anticipated they will look towards the NFL Draft for a potential solution to what’s become a glaring problem in recent years.

Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Teddy Bridgewater failed to produce enough after Rhule decided to release Cam Newton in 2020. These were big shoes to fill given how much the former NFL MVP gave the franchise, but this is now the one real link those in power must address as a matter of extreme urgency.

Another win for the Panthers in Week 12 took them to No. 5 overall in the draft. While this doesn’t matter to Steve Wilks, many fans believe this puts them out of the running for an elite prospect such as Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, the top two consensus players at the position set to take their chances at the next level.

This means influential figures in Carolina must cast their net wider. And there is one prospect reportedly taking the eye of team owner David Tepper according to a recent report.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper reportedly wants Will Levis

A league source speaking with Ellis Williams from the Charlotte Observer claimed Tepper has already set his sights on Will Levis, the Kentucky prospect who will be one of the most polarizing figures during the all-important assessment process leading up to the draft.

"“(Tepper) just sees football differently. He isn’t going to pay for (a) Deshaun (Watson). He will try to win with a QB on a rookie contract. He wants Will Levis. (Locking in) on one player is not a reflection of the team’s process. Decisions are not made on whims. There is a lot of analysis involved and one person does not drive that decision.”"

Levis has done nothing performance-wise to suggest he’s worthy of a top-10 selection this season. His production could only be described as erratic, but the signal-caller boasts the sort of traits every NFL team normally gambles on in the hope they can turn into something more.

This could be smoke and mirrors. It’s also worth remembering that either a new head coach or Wilks will be influential in the decision-making process alongside general manager Scott Fitterer and his staff.

However, this is another example of Tepper potentially getting in his own way. The billionaire is seemingly incapable of letting the football people make football decisions, so it’ll be interesting to see how things play out now Rhule is no longer around.

Levis is not a Day 1 starter – far from it, actually. This is a development project that could take a couple of years to progress into a starter, which is time Carolina doesn’t have given this looks like a team that is capable of great things within other positional groups.

We are very early in the process. Plenty of twists and turns are sure to come in the next few months before the Panthers go on the clock, with their eventual draft standing also yet to be confirmed one way or another.

Picking Levis represents another substantial gamble regardless of whether Tepper is enamored with him or not. This is also unlikely to please the majority of Carolina’s long-suffering fanbase who’ve seen the prospect struggle on countless occasions in 2022.

Only time will tell. But it’s a situation worth keeping a close eye on.