Aw, Shough

We’ve all heard about Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders by now.

Those who pay closer attention to the draft process likely know about Jaxson Dart, too.

If none of those names sound familiar, they are the consensus top-three quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.

The problem with those three is that they don’t really look like guys who should have those rankings.

It’s been argued that Ward, the betting favourite to be the No. 1 pick in April, would be QB4 in last year’s class, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye, but ahead of Michael Penix Jr. Sanders and Dart would probably slot in somewhere around 7th-9th.

Simply put, there’s a lot to be desired at the top of this QB class. They could turn out to be excellent starters at the next level but they lack the floor, and really the ceiling, that you envision in a top quarterback.

I want to put another guy in your mind, though. A player who could end up at the top of those re-draft exercises in five years.

Tyler Shough, Lousiville.

Shough (pronounced “shuck”), 25, created some smoke at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. last month. Evaluators were impressed by his arm but even more so by other players gravitating toward him. That’s difficult to accomplish in just a few days of practice, but if you hear Shough speak, you understand why guys are quick to rally around him.

He followed that up with an excellent Combine performance last month in Indianapolis.

Shough checks off a lot of boxes, beginning with size. He checked in at 6-5, 219 pounds in Indy, around 10 pounds lighter than he actually plays so he could run fast in the 40-yard dash.

He’s got decent hands at 9 3/4”. He’s also sneaky athletic — he had the sixth-highest athletic score of any QB at the Combine — and that shows up on tape.

Finally, Shough has a big arm and looks natural while slinging it.

So, you may be wondering, why isn’t he a top QB?

Shough has a lengthy injury history. He spent six years in college between three schools — Oregon and Texas Tech before Louisville — because of those ailments.

Spend a bit of time diving into that history, however, and you realize that this guy isn’t injury-prone. He’s just been really, REALLY unlucky.

In 2021, he broke his left (non-throwing) collarbone. In 2022, he broke it again. In 2023, he broke his left fibula. He played just 15 games in that three-season stretch.

Like REALLY unlucky.

Shough was finally healthy last season. And while he didn’t litter every box score, he finished with a solid 3,195 yards and 23-6 TD-INT ratio.

The tape tells all, though.

The first thing you see is fairly clean footwork and a decisive thrower. He knows where to go and gets it out quickly — there’s a reason he only threw six interceptions.

This guy can really spin it. The arm talent is evident.

He’s not as crafty as some of these other modern-day quarterbacks who will throw mid-air (which isn’t a knock on him), but he does show the ability to drop his arm angle in order to complete a pass.

Shough doesn’t run often, but he kind of reminds me of Daniel Jones when he does — a big body whose wheels can catch you off guard. He ran 4.63 at the Combine.

The experience, combined with the skillset, screams high-upside starter to me.

As of right now, Shough is mocked anywhere from round 2-4.

I say there’s no way he gets out of the 2nd round.

His playstyle isn’t as fun to watch as a guy like Ward, but if we’re talking the best QB in the draft, it very well could be Shough.

Thanks for reading, and as always, have a great day.

Josh