NFL QB analyst views Will Levis as Top 10 talent in key trait

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis enters his first season as a full-time starter with a handful of questions to answer. There is still plenty to learn about what he can be as a starter, but one major reason for optimism is Levis' undeniable arm talent.

Coming out of the draft, Levis' arm strength was among his best attributes. It wasn't long before the Kentucky product reminded everybody about his special deep ball, which he showed off in a four-touchdown NFL debut against the Falcons last season.

The Titans didn't spend much time on national television a year ago, so Levis' flashes of brilliance often went unnoticed. While the national media is waiting to fully buy in on Levis, ESPN's Dan Orlvosky is absolutely sold on his ability to push the ball down the field.

On Monday, Orlovsky recently ranked the best quarterbacks in seven different categories. The categories were arm strength, ball placement, mechanics, decision-making, pocket presence, rushing ability, and second reaction. Titans fans would be pleased to know Levis checked in at No. 6 in arm strength.

From Orlovsky : "I have a pair of sophomore quarterbacks here, too. Levis can thread the ball with his big arm, and if you go back to the Titans' Monday night win over the Dolphins in Week 14 last season, you'll see some really firm passes."

Titans fans caught on to Levis' abilities in that Week 8 win over Atlanta , but his Monday Night Football performance against the Dolphins was his true coming-out party to the rest of the football world. Not only did the rookie gunslinger engineer a comeback from down 27-13 with 4:34 to play, but Levis used his trademarked deep ball to make it all happen.

Levis finished the win with a career high 327 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception, but the numbers didn't really matter at the time. The Titans found their quarterback.

Though at times he made it work, Levis was rarely throwing the ball from a clean pocket. In fact, he was hit on 25.5 percent of his dropbacks, which ranked first in the NFL by a wide margin. Russell Wilson was hit the second most often at a 20.4 percent rate, which is still significantly less frequent than Levis.

With more time available to deliver the football behind an improved offensive line, Levis becomes even more dangerous down the field. Not to mention the wide receiver additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to pair with Levis' favorite target, DeAndre Hopkins, will help in producing more explosive plays.

Now in head coach Brian Callahan's system , Levis is poised to take a sophomore leap this fall. Callahan has spent plenty of time with Levis on short and intermediate throws during training camp, which should result in a more efficient season. If he is able to add that element to his repertoire while holstering the deep ball in his back pocket, Titans fans will watch as the questions surrounding Levis will evaporate.