One of the top rising quarterback prospects through the NFL draft process has been Louisville's Tyler Shough. Though the 25-year-old quarterback is older than the typical draft prospect, his stock has risen from a late-round pick to a potential Day 2 player over the months leading up to the draft.
Shough's journey to the NFL has taken an interesting arc. He began his career at Oregon as the backup to Justin Herbert before transferring to Texas Tech and then Louisville for his final collegiate season. Shough started an entire season for the first time in 2024, and threw for 3,195 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Outside of Cam Ward, there is little consensus on the rest of the quarterbacks in this draft class, and that goes for Shough. He is seen as high as an early second-round pick, but others think he could get taken in the third round or even later.
Here is where a handful of the top draft experts and analysts see Shough landing.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 2, Pick 34, New York Giants
"After going another direction in the first round, the Giants can land an experienced passer with good arm strength," Kiper wrote of Shough in his April 15 mock draft. "Shough threw 29 touchdown passes last season, and he'd have the opportunity to learn alongside Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston."
Jordan Reid, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 65, New York Giants
"After skipping on a QB in the first two rounds, the Giants find one in Round 3. Shough is an on-time passer whose best throws come off play-action, where he had 28 completions of 20-plus yards in 2024 (third most in the FBS)," Reid wrote in his April 21 mock draft.
Matt Miller, ESPN
Projected Draft Position: Round 2, Pick 33, Cleveland Browns
"The Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders in Round 1 but would get their quarterback here. Shough was a member of the 2018 recruiting class and has played at three schools, starting as Justin Hebert's backup at Oregon, moving to Texas Tech and thriving at Louisville this past season," Miller said of Shough in his March 27 mock draft. "Shough has a live arm, easy mobility and plenty of experience. Cleveland needs someone to play immediately, which he can do as the Browns try to find the franchise quarterback that has evaded them since the franchise rebooted in 1999,"
Dane Brugler, The Athletic
Projected Draft Position: Round 2, Pick 40, New Orleans Saints
Brugler did not include a write-up about Shough in his mock draft, but did write about the Louisville product in his 2025 NFL draft guide, titled "The Beast."
"With his drive velocity and body fluidity, Shough can make impressive rip-and-zip throws from a variety of arm slots and is a better athlete than expected, which helps him keep plays alive," Brugler wrote. "His ability to expedite his process when the pocket deteriorates is promising, but he needs to improve his eye discipline to stay in sync with receivers when reading full progressions. Overall, Shough is overaged and needs to cut back on some of the high-risk passing decisions, but he is a gifted thrower with the functional mobility to work off schedule. He has the tools to work his way up a depth chart and make plays once on the field."
Chad Reuter, NFL Network
Projected Draft Position: Round 3, Pick 65, New York Giants
Reuter sees Shough landing with the Giants in the third round of his April 18 mock draft.
More NFL Draft on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tyler Shough NFL Draft Destinations: Where Experts Are Saying the Louisville QB Will Be Picked.
